Bitemarks and Bloodstains
by Countess Jackman
Summary: I stared at Edward, swallowing the lump in my throat before saying, “Well, there is one place we can go.” His eyes flickered with recognition and he sighed, turning to the rest of our family, “The Volturi.” Sequel to Waste a Moment.
1. Preface

A/N: Bonjour! It's great to see you all again! I'd like to take a moment and welcome you to the sequel to "Waste a Moment". I'm glad you all enjoyed the previous fic and I hope you like this one, too. As always, reviews are always appreciated! And since I failed at life and didn't post this before the book came out, this story is now AU. I would change the plot to fit Eclipse, but it would just defeat the purpose of this story, wouldn't it? Anyway, enjoy this!

**Disclaimer: I'm seriously only going to say this once - I DON'T OWN ANYTHING! Have a nice day. **

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Preface

No one saw this coming. Not even Alice. But that's to be expected when a group of vampires is dealing with a pack of rebellious, revenge-hungry werewolves. Especially when one of them claims to be in love with you, even though he swore that he never wanted to associate with you ever again.

"You don't have to do this, Bella!"

There it was again; his beautiful voice. I looked up from my hands and into his crestfallen face. His golden orbs were silently pleading with me. He didn't want to me do this, but it was the only way I could stop anything else from happening to the people I had come to acknowledge as my family.

"But I do," I muttered pathetically, tears that would never be shed gathering in my eyes.

"No!" He shouted, the misery in his voice wrenching my heart.

For the first time in what seemed like months, I opened my mind to him. I gazed directly into his shimmering eyes and opened the connection that had been forged between us.

_Please, Edward. Don't make this any harder than it already is. _

When he didn't say anything, I knew that he had accepted my decision. He knew that it was pointless to try and convince me otherwise. Or at least, I hoped he understood that I wasn't being as foolish as he was insisting that I was.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped up onto the raised platform, careful not to trip on the steps as I made my way up. A wave of soft murmurs trickled through the small gathering, some of them shocked, others pleased.

"You are going willing, then?" A familiar voice asked.

I nodded somberly. "Yes. I'm tired of running."

"Good girl," the voice said soothingly. Aro gestured with a long, papery hand toward the door to his immediate left. I could feel the protest begin to build in my stomach as Felix grabbed my upper arm, holding it tightly in his vice-like grip. My feet wouldn't comply with the rest of my body as he began to tug me toward the door.

Felix's other hand came clamping down on my opposite arm and, all too soon, I was being frog marched toward the ominous looking door. I struggled frantically against his tight hold on me, but he was much older and stronger than I was.

I wasn't ready for this. I couldn't do this. I had been wrong in my judgment; the courage that had possessed me had vanished and fear was gripping at me from all corners of my mind. I pressed my feet into the stone floor, trying to slow down our speed. Felix tightened his hold and I winced, his sharp nails digging into my skin.

I managed to twist around in Felix's arms just long enough to catch a glimpse of Edward. He was struggling against the chains that bound him to the floor. Our eyes met and I screamed out for him, the most pitiful sound erupting from my throat.

"Bella!" Edward shouted, my heart breaking as a dry sob escaped my throat. I reached out for him, even though I knew that I would never hold his hand again; I would never feel the touch of his cold flesh against mine; I would never feel so complete and whole ever again.

The door swung shut, cutting off Edward's shouts and roars of outrage, and signifying the finality of the decision I had made. I had lost everything that I held dear to me, and it was all because I had made the noble choice.


	2. Chapter One

A/N: Well, I hope you enjoy this story. It took me a while to work out some of the bumps along the road, since I don't want to completely stray from what occurred in Eclipse, but I think I just might have to. You guys don't have a problem with that…do you? Oh, and no more disclaimers from now on; I've run out of witty things to say.

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"_the Eternity they have entered -- where life is boundless in its duration, and love in its sympathy, and joy in its fullness." _

_- Nelly Dean, Wuthering Heights _

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Chapter One

The sun streamed into the space in thick, broken fragments. A soft breeze caused the crisp leaves on the trees to rustle and the branches to sway back and forth in a lazy yet hypnotic motion. In the distance, wave after wave could be heard crashing against the rocks that lined the shore, a peaceful and most welcome sound. It was comfortable, serene even, here in the grass. With my head resting on the smooth, hard surface of his bare chest, I lazily traced what would've been a noticeable vein on the inside of his arm as we lay there in silence. There was no need for words.

If I didn't know any better, judging by the steady rise and fall of his chest and the low, rhythmic pattern of his breathing, I would've thought he was sleeping. But I knew better; he would never sleep nor would I.

Shifting around a little bit, I turned onto my side, propping myself up with my elbow and resting my head in my hand. Strands of my long, dark hair were scattered across the surface of his chest. I smiled, removing my hand from his arm and running it along the indent in the center of his abdomen. A content, pleasurable smile upturned the corners of his lips and he hummed, a low, but soothing sound. Musical, almost.

My eyes were pulled away from his gleaming torso, which sparkled like a hundred thousand diamonds when the smallest rays of sunlight skimmed the surface, and were drawn to his face. Thin, pale lids were pulled shut over his beautiful ocher eyes and I reached up, brushing my fingertips along the tips of his lashes.

When he didn't so much as flinch, I frowned. I moved around a bit, shifting my weight and maneuvering my body so that it would be easier to access his neck. I planted the first kiss on his collarbone, a place I so loved to kiss, before moving onto the porcelain expanse of his throat. I kissed my way along his jaw line, up the curve of his chin, and finally stopped on his mouth. I hovered above him, prolonging the moment before his lips brushed against mine and the spark - a jolt, really - surged through my body, making every cell come to life.

"Why must you taunt me so?"

I smiled as his musical voice filled my ears. Forget the waves, if his voice was all I heard for the rest of eternity, I would be more than happy to lavish in the sound.

"_I'm_ taunting _you_, am I?" I asked coyly, my lips skimming the surface of his smooth mouth as my tongue traced the shape of his perfect lips.

"Yes," he said, his hands sliding up and down my bare arms. "You taunt me with those delicious lips of yours. I want them, yet you pull away before I can reach the treasure."

"If it's treasure that you want," I goaded smugly, slithering out of his grip and sitting up, my arms on either side of him. "Then you'll have to come and get it."

Finally opening his eyes, he smirked up at me and pushed himself up onto both elbows. Raising one arm, he cupped the back of my neck with his glacial hand and brought his lips toward mine, sealing our mouths in a soft kiss. He pulled back before I could respond and rested his forehead against mine.

"Scallywag," I breathed, my head spinning.

"Minx," he breathed back, a mile wide smile tugging his lips into my favorite smile. He kissed my forehead before returning to his spot on the grass, one arm tucked behind his head, his eyelids sliding back into place.

I sighed heavily, knowing that it was pointless to try and get what I wanted when I obviously wasn't going to get it. I laid back down on the grass next to him, resting my cheek against his chest, where his dead heart lay beneath his porcelain skin. His cold arm came around my waist, pulling me as close as possible. My body had all but melted into his.

I absentmindedly traced asymmetrical patterns on the inside of his arm, much like I had been doing before, and let my eyes close, taking in the sounds of nature around me.

It really was peaceful here in Tofino, British Columbia. I thought that it would be impossible to find peace when the werewolves had been hot on our tails for nearly three and a half months. We were constantly moving, never bothering to make a home and living out of hotels instead. It wasn't the most desirable life, but I had Edward and he was all that I needed; he was all that I wanted in this life. The rest of my family had been good sports about the whole thing, even when I insisted that I wasn't worth the trouble. Yes, I still thought that I wasn't worth the constant moving, but they did. They were crazy, to say the very least, but I loved each and every one of them.

Thankfully, around November of last year, we had managed to through them off our trail. It had been an incredibly difficult feat, but somehow, we had done it. The tension had run high between every member of our family, but it was obvious that Edward and I had a lot of issues to sort through after we tore into each other one night. The strain the journey had put on our relationship had been a difficult one to overcome at first, but like everything, we managed to sort it out. Like every fight the pair of us got into, it was over something silly and stupid. It wasn't my fault that he was so damn insistent.

It had taken us a while to find a suitable place for the eight of us to live. We had even ventured up to Denali and sought shelter with Tanya's clan for a few weeks before Kate recommended Tofino. It was a small, tourist town and known for its breathtaking views of the ocean. At the time, I hadn't been strong enough to resist the lure of blood and was forced to stay behind in Alaska while every other member of my family, Edward included, went down to Tofino.

Each member of Tanya's clan was very nice and hospitable toward me, but there was something I didn't like about the looks that Tanya gave me whenever I wasn't with Edward. It had made me uncomfortable to stay the entire weekend with her clan without any of the Cullens there with me, but Alice had reassured me numerous times that nothing would happened, I had reluctantly kissed Edward goodbye and watched him disappear down the road, Kate by my side. I had taken to Kate when we had first met, instantly liking the dark haired vampire.

The Cullens returned from Tofino before the weekend was over. All they could talk about was the splendor and beauty of the small village. Carlisle and Esme had purchased a run down hunting lodge that was nearly twenty miles outside of town, claiming that it was the perfect place for the eight of us to live. I could tell by the look of Esme's warm face that she was already planning how she would rip apart the house before piecing it back together.

Two days after the New Year, we said goodbye to Denali and Tanya's clan; the only one I was reluctant to leave was Kate. She had been the sweetest towards me and I had started to consider her a friend. But I was too happy to get away from Tanya and her scathing, though discreet glares that she sent me under the cover of her thick eyelashes. I was more than ready to settle into some organized way of living instead of jumping from hotel to hotel. I suppose it was my fault that we had to move so much, but every time a doubt crossed my mind and I had enough nerve to voice it, I always got scolded for my idiocy, as they all kindly put it.

The moment we arrived in Tofino, the renovations began. I hadn't worked a single tool in my life, but after some instruction from Emmett and Esme, I was able to figure out how to work the simplest of tools. I didn't enjoy ripping up the floors or tearing cabinets out of the walls quite like Esme did, but I did enjoy knocking down the walls to open up the place. Unlike most renovators, who would've used sledgehammers to pummel through the plaster, we simply ran through the walls. Well, Edward, Emmett, and Jasper insist upon wrestling one another, pushing each other through the plaster to completely demolish the wall. Though I might not have tossed myself through the walls like Edward, Emmett, and Jasper did, I did take my anger out upon the walls by kicking and punching them.

With all eight of us working day and night, we finished the renovations of the house halfway through February. The Cullens had an obscene amount of money, as I had known when I first met them, and had splurged when it came to their home. I hadn't seen the need for a chef's kitchen, but Esme had insisted upon it. She was a very hard worker and took pride in her work, that much was easy to tell. I know I wasn't alone in my thinking that the house wasn't quite like the one in Forks, but it would do for now. We would never be able to return to Forks as it were, anyway.

The house was beautiful, to say the very least, but without all the historical paintings that had decorated the walls back in Forks, the house didn't feel like a home. It felt like we were simply renting the space for the time being, that we were on vacation. Except people actually had fun on vacations and weren't running from werewolves.

When Emmett had brought up the possibility of sneaking back down to Forks to retrieve all of their most meaningful possessions, all the Cullens had refused. But as the idea simmer in the backs of their minds, I knew that they couldn't resist the pull toward their old stuff. They might not have been materialistic, but they had loved their old treasures. Much to everyone's surprise, Edward was the first one to agree with Emmett. It didn't take me very long to reach the conclusion; his Vanquish was still parked in the garage. Soon after that, everyone but Carlisle thought they should go back to the house to retrieve their forgotten and much wanted items. I could remember the intense wave of guilt that had washed over me as I sat there in silence. I had been the reason they weren't able to bring their treasures with them. I had been the cause behind their obvious, but not great, pain.

Carlisle had finally caved to his 'childrens' demands and let Emmett, Edward, and Jasper travel down to Forks. I had wanted to go, protesting with every fiber of my being, but each time I opened my mouth, Edward silenced me and ended the argument before it could be had. I made Edward promise that he would call me as much as possible and that if anything dangerous happened, he would let us know. But in the three days that they were gone, none of us heard a single thing for them. I had been on edge the entire time he was gone, pacing relentlessly in our bedroom.

So when they came back three days after they had left, Edward zipping down the driveway in his black Vanquish, all was well. Most of Carlisle's relics had been salvaged as well as Esme's old photographs and her wedding gown, the one she wore in the ceremony that made her Carlisle's lawfully wedded wife for ever and always. Jasper had managed to collect the majority of his books, which were the most precious things to him. Alice and Rosalie's clothing had been saved and welcomed with opened arms by the two vampires. Emmett's X-BOX 360 and all his video games were the only things he wanted and, when Edward had asked if I wanted anything from my old house, I told him no. I didn't need a reminder of the old house, of my old life. It was too painful. It was much too early for me to think of Charlie and Renee as my past; to me, they were still a great part of my life, even if Charlie was dead.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked, running his fingers lazily through my hair.

"Everything and nothing at all," I answered, resting my chin on his chest so I could look into his eyes. I was frustrated to find that they were still shut.

"And by that you mean…," he trailed off suggestively.

I sighed and he inhaled the expulsion of breath. "I've just been thinking about everything that's happened over the last few months. It's been so hectic and now it's - it's…" I couldn't think of the word.

"Peaceful?" He supplied.

"Yeah," I smiled, kissing his chest. "It's so strange."

"Do you want things to go back to the way they used to be?"

I shook my head fervently. "Of course not!" I exclaimed. "I'm happy with the way things are."

It was true. For the first time in a long time, I was genuinely happy. Even though I had to leave my life in Forks behind; Charlie was dead and I still blamed myself for his death; my best friend in the entire world had turned against me, when the only thing that kept me in his life and attached to this world was a deadly kiss delivered by the one I loved, I was happy. As demented as it sounded.

The key to my happiness was the person laying underneath me, twirling my hair absentmindedly between his fingers. If it wasn't for Edward and his family, I would have been a depressed monster, going on killing sprees whenever I felt the need to feed. Or I would be dead. The beast within me never rested and I was constantly feeding as it were. Without them to guide me, I would be a lost soul; doomed forever in the deepest ring of Hades. But I had them in my life, they were with me every step of the way, even if I didn't believe that I deserved to have them at my side.

The Cullens were my angels and Edward was my own personal heaven; he was my paradise.

I sighed again, causing Edward to open his eyes.

"If you don't stop doing that," he said, a smile creeping up his lips. "I won't be able to keep my hands off of you much longer."

"Have you ever considered that's what I want?" I grinned.

"Of course it's what you want," he said, chuckling as he took my hand that rest on his chest in his own, lacing his fingers through mine. "It's all you ever want."

My mouth fell open in mock shock and I smacked him on the chest. "That's not true."

"So you're telling me you weren't trying to seduce me earlier?" Edward asked, raising a brow.

"Okay, it's not _entirely_ true." I conceded. "But don't act like you didn't enjoy it earlier."

"Are you talking about the first or the second time?"

"Which one did you enjoy more?"

"Did you really just ask me that ridiculous question?" Edward countered.

I rolled my eyes, resisting the urge to slap his stone chest again. Edward seemed to sense that I would do this again and grabbed both of my hands, bringing my wrists close to his nose and inhaling. His cool breath tickled my skin.

"You smell as delicious as the first day I met you," he whispered, licking the insides of my wrists before kissing his way up to my fingertips.

I pulled my hands out of his grip and laid my head back down on his chest, taking in his mouthwatering scent. "You don't smell too bad yourself," I remarked, my nose skimming along his chest as I inhaled.

We laid there in silence, content with not speaking to one another. There were no needs for words, no need for anything other then the simple touching of skin. My body was still tingling, every cell seeming to be on end, waiting for him to take me again. My hand slowly moved up his neck slowly, tracing the curve of his ear and I buried my fingers in the soft tendrils of hair at the base of his neck.

He caught my wrist again and when I tried to pull it back, he refused to give it back. The tip of his nose brushed my thumb as he slowly moved his head up the entire length of my arm, stopping only when he got to my elbow to lick the bend. I shivered as his cold tongue touched my skin and allowed my eyes to close.

If we could stay like this forever, I would be content. Laying in the grass, listening to the sea lapping against the rocks, and soft cry of the gulls overhead. It was a picture perfect illusion of perfection. Nothing was stressful here. There was no tense. Only beauty and simplicity. How I wished everything in the world could be like that.

I was flipped over onto my back before I knew what was happening. Edward hovered above me, supporting himself on his elbows even though we both knew it was unnecessary. He still took superfluous cautions around me, still convinced that even though I was a vampire, I was fragile.

I opened my mouth to say something, to protest and ask him why he had pinned me beneath him, when he worked his mouth against mine in the most knee melting manner. The questions had all but melted from my mind as his lips left mine and traveled down the side of my throat. He kissed my collarbone, his cold tongue licking the length of it before moving down to my chest. He took one of my breasts in his mouth and I arched my back, a small ghost of a gasp escaping me as his tongue took care to swirl slowly around the nipple, bringing it to a peak. My eyelids were fluttering like crazy, my head spinning dizzily as he moved to the other breast, treating it with as much care as the other. I fisted his bronze hair in my hands as he licked the curve of my breast before kissing the valley between my breasts, his tongue occasionally darting out of his mouth as he made his slow, tantalizing descent downward.

The tip of his straight, aristocratic nose skimmed my pelvis and I gave an involuntary buck of my hips. Kissing the outline of my pelvic bone with exquisite precision, he suddenly lifted his head and smirked at me. His golden eyes were glimmering with gentle assertion; his tone of voice a softly issued command.

"Marry me."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I fought back shivers of pleasure that still rippled through my body. Realizing that my hands were still laced through his hair, I released his head and he scooted back up to my side, the cold skin of his body slipping along mine and catching me on fire. I shuddered slightly, trying not to let the simplicity of the touch get to me.

Were we really going to have this discussion again? He had to be kidding. I looked into his eyes for any trace of a jest, but there was nothing, save for a soft hint of desperation in the dark depths. This was the reason why we had been at each others' throats a few months ago. He had insisted on asking me to marry him three times in the span of two weeks. I had rejected him every time, but he kept complaining that he wanted to make an honest woman out of me. I thought that it was a little more than unnecessary, that we could wait as long as we wanted, considering we had all eternity to exchange vows in front of a minister.

"Edward," I drawled as he trailed his fingers up the side of my arm; my skin burned beneath his touch. "We've had this discussion hundreds of times."

"I know we have, Bella, but would it hurt you to take it into consideration?" he asked. I couldn't ignore the tone of desperation in his voice, I couldn't deny the glimmer of hope in his eyes. He lowered his beautiful head toward mine, his lips kissing my forehead, my nose, and finally, my lips.

I turned my face away and sat up. "Edward, please."

"Why can't you just say yes?" he questioned, his brow furrowing slightly. "It wouldn't kill you, you know."

I gave him a pointed look and sighed, pushing a hand through my hair. My hand snagged in my hair and I frowned, struggling to pull out my hand.

When I did, I saw that there was a big diamond situation on my finger. It was his mother's diamond, one of the things he had managed to salvage along with his Vanquish. The golden band contrasted lovely against my pale skin, the diamond glinting in the sunshine. I stared at it for a few more seconds before meeting his eyes.

I opened my mouth, ready to say something, when he scooted closer to me, a millimeter of space between us. I could smell his heady scent, my mind spiraling as I struggled to regain control over my own brain. It was still so unfair that he was able to do that to me. It didn't seem like I had the same effect on him. If I did, he hid it very well.

"I'm not saying that we have to get married tomorrow, Bella," he muttered, his hand cupping my neck. He moved closer to me still, nuzzling the crook of my neck and inhaling deeply. "I just want you," he whispered into my ear.

"But you have me already."

"I want you as my wife."

I looked into his face, taking in the angular features of his painfully beautiful face, wondering how it was possible for someone of such startling beauty fell in love with someone like me. Even if I was a vampire, I was still plain.

"Yes," I said suddenly. My eyes widened in shock as Edward jerked away from me, equally surprised. Apparently, he didn't think that it would be that easy. Well, neither did I, but he did that stupid dazzling thing that he always did.

"Yes?" he repeated dubiously.

A small smile quirked my lips upward and I nodded, an uncharacteristic giggle escaping me. "Yes, but only under one condition-"

His perfect, marble lips captured mine in a heart wrenching kiss before I could get the rest of my sentence out. "I love you," he muttered, each word punctured with a soft, but urgent kiss. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck, falling back onto the grass with him and losing myself in him once more.


	3. Chapter Two

A/N: As always, thanks for the reviews. I appreciate them. Although, I'll say that there weren't as many as there usually is. At any rate, I still appreciate the ones I received and I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for giving me the fuel to write this story. Without you faithful reviewers, I probably wouldn't have completed Waste a Moment and this story would've been a dream, not a reality. So thanks so much for allowing that to happen. If you have any questions, as always, feel free to PM me.

Oh, and I added a new summary. It's not a different story, just a new and improved summary.

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Chapter Two

"We really should be getting back."

I let out a groan and kissed his chest. "Do we have to?"

He laughed in his soft, musical manner and his chest shook. His free hand combed through my hair, twirling a stray tendril between his fingers. "Yes," he said, sighing as his laughter dissipated. "Alice will never let us hear the end of it."

Another groan escaped me. I had forgotten about Alice, our always watching sister. She saw everything, so naturally, she had seen Edward proposing to me in the middle of the meadow and me accepting for the first time ever. Unless…

"You don't think she saw the proposal, do you?" I asked, unable to hide the dread in my voice.

Edward shook his head, several strands falling into his golden eyes. "No, I don't think she did."

"Really?" I raised a brow. I had almost convinced myself that she had seen it all.

"It was a snap decision on both our parts," he answered, unable to hide the smile in his voice.

I sat up, my hair falling around me, and looked down at where he lay, in all his glory, in the grass. I wondered if I looked as perfect in his eyes as he looked in mine? "You mean you didn't plan on asking me to marry you today?"

"Nope," he smiled. "It just sort of slipped out; something in here," he grabbed my hand and placed it over his dormant heart, "just told me to ask you and that you would say yes."

I couldn't help smiling back as I bent down to kiss his perfect lips. His hands slid up my arms and rested on the base of my neck, pulling me closer to him as he laced his fingers through my hair. My smile widened against his mouth as we kissed, his lips smooth and cold against mine. I slid my leg over his hips, ready to straddle him, but he pulled away.

"Bella," he groaned, his voice low and throaty.

I lowered my lips to his ear, tracing the shell of his ear with the tip of my tongue and whispered, "Must you ruin all my fun?"

"Just because Alice didn't see my proposal doesn't mean she hasn't seen the rest of this," he commented. "Or the fact that you accepted, either."

If it were at all possible, what little color I had left in my face drained and I got off of him, sitting up.

He chuckled as I frantically searched around the space for my clothes. I grabbed my shirt and pulled it over my head, completely abandoning all hope in finding my bra. My eyes flickered over to him and he was still laying on the grass, a smirk on his face.

"What are you doing?" I hissed. "Get up!" I chucked his shirt at him and he caught it, laughing.

"They're not going to come here, you know," he said as he stuck his arms through the sleeves.

"You never know! Knowing Emmett, he would!" I closed my eyes at the thought, praying that he wouldn't come. Or any of them, for that matter.

"Bella," Edward laughed. "You're freaking out for no reason at all." He stopped my process of zipping up my jeans by grabbing my hand and I jerked my head upward, looking into his eyes, which glimmered with amusement. I scolded. "I'll know if they had plans on coming."

I opened my mouth to say something scathing, when he lifted a hand and tapped his temple with a long, pale finger. I snapped my jaw shut and returned my attention to my zipper, which was being exceedingly difficult for some reason, without saying a word. Edward took that as a cue that my patience was running short and began to search the expanse of grass we had rolled around on for his clothes.

I had all my clothes on except my left shoe. I searched around in the tall grass, thinking that maybe it got thrown to the side a little too enthusiastically when we were stripping each other of our garments. I was unsuccessful in my search and, unfortunately, without a left shoe. I made a noise of annoyance and furrowed my brow, looking over at Edward. My brow smoothed as I smiled at his back. I didn't know what it was about his back, but I found it incredibly sexy, especially the way his muscles worked beneath his porcelain skin. It both fascinated and aroused me.

Crossing the space between us, I snaked my arms around his waist and slapped his hands away, doing the belt buckle myself. He smiled as I kissed his shoulder blade and asked, "You haven't seen my left shoe, have you?"

"No," he said, placing his hands over my own and holding onto them tightly. "I haven't."

"Damn it, I guess I'll just have to go back to the house without a shoe." I frowned. "I really liked those shoes, too."

Twisting around deftly in my arms, he looped his arms around my waist and pulled me dangerously close. "I'll buy you another pair if you liked them so much," he said.

I shook my head. "I may have liked them, but I can live without them."

"I'll never understand that; why you don't let me buy you things," he remarked, shaking his head to himself as he reluctantly twisted out of my arms to return to the buttons on his shirt. I wish he would've left it hanging open, but that would've been too suspicious. "It gets annoying, you know."

"I know," I sighed, having heard this argument several times before. I had tried to explain to him that having him in life was more than anything else he could give me, but for some reason, he didn't like that answer. He claimed that it wasn't really an answer, just an excuse. In truth, it was both an answer and an excuse. Edward wasn't the only one I hated receiving gifts from; it applied to everyone.

I looked around our surroundings and smiled. It was so peaceful here, I couldn't get over it. I wish we could've stayed in the clearing all day. But unfortunately, it was getting dark and I was starting to get hungry. Making love for the majority of the afternoon might have sated my appetite for Edward, but it hadn't quite quenched my thirst for blood.

"Do you think we can go hunting before we go back?" I asked as he stuffed his foot into his right shoe. "I'm starting to get hungry. Besides, you look like you could use a buck or two."

It hadn't always been so easy for me to talk about hunting. For the first few months in this life, it had been incredibly difficult to tell any of the Cullens that I was hungry. I didn't want them to think that I was some savage beast and all I wanted was to drink the blood of animals. If anything, that was the farthest thing from the truth. I usually waited until I couldn't take the thirst anymore, when I couldn't quiet the demon in my chest, before I asked one of them to go hunting with me. Edward had always been the one to go along with me at first, but he didn't always feed when I did and I felt extremely awkward. Jasper had noticed these feelings and offered to go with me whenever I hunted, as he usually needed his fill of blood as often as I did. Through these little hunting excursion, Jasper and I had become closer.

After he finished tying his shoe at inhuman speeds, he stood up and nodded his head. "Sure, we can go if you'd like." He smiled brilliantly at me, wrapping his arms around my waist before planting a soft peck on my lips. I could feel my knees giving way beneath me and I clung to him tightly. It was ridiculous that he had such an effect on me, even now.

Edward unwound his arms from around me and held out his hand. I took it gladly and we walked toward the edge of the forest together. Right before we disappeared into the trees, I stumbled over something. Looking down, I saw that it was my shoe. I locked gazes with Edward and struggled to keep a smile on my face.

"How the hell did my shoe end up all the way over here?" I asked curiously, measuring the distance between where we stood and where we had fallen in the grass, unable to hold back any longer. It was quite a distance, maybe thirty or forty yards. I bent down, retrieved the shoe, and stuffed my foot into it, quickly lacing it up.

"I have absolutely no idea," he chuckled, tugging me into the thicket of trees.

X - X - X

I pulled my head back, my lips making an odd sound, like a stopper being pulled from a sink, as I withdrew my razor sharp teeth from the doe's neck. Luckily, I hadn't spilt any blood on my shirt, but I had managed to get it all over my face. I wiped it away with the back of my hand and glanced over my shoulder. Edward was still drinking from his buck. However, he managed to look like an Abercrombie and Fitch model doing it. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I made my way toward him, carefully stepping over fallen tree limbs and avoiding tree roots at all costs.

When I approached, he dropped the buck to the ground. I stared at the carcass for a bit longer than necessary and made the mistake of looking into its black eyes. They were glazed over with what could only be described as death. It sent a shiver up my spine. Although I would much rather feed from animals, it still bothered me that I had to kill an innocent animal in order to sate my thirst. I sighed and turned my eyes back to Edward. He was grinning at me.

"What?" I asked. "Do I have some blood on my face?" I reached up and wiped at my mouth furiously.

He shook his head. "No, it's not that."

"Then what is it?" I demanded, about to stomp my foot on the ground in protest if he didn't give me some answers.

"Your eyes are fading," he said fondly, cupping my cheeks with his hands.

"They're _fading_?"

"In color, Bella," he tacked on, still smiling. "They're the most peculiar color of red and gold."

"You mean they're orange?!" I cried, absolutely horrified. Who wanted orange eyes?

"I wouldn't say orange," he pacified, stroking the length of my cheekbone with his thumb. My eyes began to drift shut as I allowed my body to enjoy the feeling of his skin against mine.

"Then what color are they?" I breathed, tilting my head back slightly.

"Rustic red," Edward answered. I smiled and opened my eyes as he kissed my forehead. "Come on, let's get back to the house. I know Alice is dying to ask you about plans for the wedding."

I froze mid-step and stared at Edward's back. "P-plans for the wedding?"

He turned around, having noticed that I had stopped walking, and his brow was furrowed in concerned. And, dare I say it, confusion? "Bella, I told you that we didn't have to get married right away. If Alice's questions bother you, you don't have to answer them."

I peeled my eyes away from his and looked down at the ring that glittered beautifully on my finger. It was a reminder of what I had answered 'yes' to. It was a reminder that I was going to become the future Mrs. Edward Anthony Masen Cullen Junior. Wow, if that wasn't a mouthful, then I didn't know what was. But instead of feeling joyous about it, I felt something else. It was true that I was happy that I would finally become Edward's wife, but it signified the end of my human life. Even though I had been a vampire for nearly ten months now, I was still holding onto my past as tightly as I could. And marrying Edward would signify the end of that, that I really would have to let go of everything that tied me to Renee, to Forks…to Jacob.

_But you severed those ties a long time ago, Bella. Jake has no place in your life now, save for the person who wants to kill you._

I pushed my thoughts out of my mind and tore my eyes away from the diamond that glinted and gleamed proudly on my finger.

"Look, Edward, I-."

"Please don't say you changed your mind, Bella," Edward begged, looking the most desperate that I had ever seen him in the entire time I had known him. "Please." His tone of voice alone was breaking my heart.

I tried to find the right words, but they wouldn't come out. The truth was that I really did want to marry him, I just didn't want to do it so soon. And, knowing Alice as well as I did, she would want to rush things along and make it happen as soon as possible.

"I'm not going to change my mind, Edward," I whispered, taking his hand and squeezing it tight. "And it's not her questions that are going to bother me, I just don't want her to rush this along."

"And she won't," Edward pledged vehemently. "This wedding is going to be everything that you want, no matter how much she pushes you into what she thinks is best. If you don't like what's being planned, than you have every right to override her decision. This is our special day, not hers."

I couldn't help smiling at my Edward as he lowered his head, allowing me to place a chaste kiss on his lips. I knew that I could believe his word, as he had never went back on his promises. Without so much as a fleeting glance at the dead deer carcasses, we ran back to the recently renovated hunting lodge at top speed.

We arrived a little over three minutes later. Edward's bronze hair was windblown and I had to say that the look most definitely worked for him. I smiled at him when he turned his eyes to mine and he grinned back, clutching onto my hand tighter. He pulled me up the front steps of the massive porch and opened the front door, tugging me through the threshold.

They were all waiting for us in the living room, each wearing a different expression. It was hard to determine which was more joyous about our announce; Esme or Alice? They both looked on the brink of tears, even though they couldn't cry. Esme's pale hands were shaking as she held them up to her face to hide the small noise of a dry sob. She was the first one to approach us, standing up from her position on the couch to embrace each of us. She clung tightly to me, stroking my hair from scalp to ends.

"Oh," she said, finally releasing me and taking my face in her hands. "I'm so happy for you."

I grinned back. "I'm happy, too." My eyes darted over her shoulder at Jasper and I attempted to raise a brow in challenge; challenging him to say otherwise. Instead, a small smile graced his lips and he wrapped his arm firmly around Alice's slender waist, holding both her and her questions back for later on.

Removing her hands from my face, she turned to Edward, all but flinging herself at him and letting out a noise that was a cross between a dry sob and an exclamation of happiness. Carlisle was standing right behind her and he smiled softly at me before giving me a tight, but brief hug. It was like my return home from my first hunt all over again, when they had officially welcomed me into their family.

One by one, they each came up and embraced us. Emmett picked me up off the ground, spinning me around once before setting me on the ground and promptly ruffling my hair. I scowled at him good-naturedly as he turned to Edward, locking him in a headlock and giving him a noogie. Even Edward's good mood couldn't be tainted by the move that would've normally annoyed him to pieces. He laughed along with his brother and fought back, the pair of them wrestling each other.

After Rosalie released me, she had taken my hand in hers to examine the rock that glittered on my finger. Her amber eyes widened in shock as she beheld the jewel and I could tell she was biting back a remark. My gaze was pulled toward the stone in her engagement ring - well, one of them anyway, she changed them daily, as she had three - and I didn't see why she was fretting. Her ring was just as large, if not bigger, than mine. With a small frown quirking her lips, she went to congratulate Edward.

Behind her in the line, however, was the one Cullen I was reluctant to come across. I could see the questions and ideas gleaming in the depths of her mischievous eyes, but the way Jasper held onto her hand made me think that he was restraining her. I thanked him as he gave me a tight, brotherly hug, which I returned adamantly. The second he stepped back, Alice flung herself at me, nearly knocking me off my feet. I chuckled and returned her hug before she sprang back from me, as though fire was licking at her very heels.

"I have **so **many ideas! There are so many possibilities! Of course, we'll have to set a date first, but that shouldn't be too hard, should it? I was thinking maybe sometime in the summer, how about that? Maybe a romantic setting, like some deserted island that only we can get to? Hmm, that's a thought. Do you want a classic wedding or something a bit more modern? Maybe somewhere in between? Yes, I think that's the way-."

"Alice!" Edward's musical voice rang out, cutting sharply across her breathless rant.

Her brow pulled together and she crossed her arms over her small chest, huffing, "What?"

He glanced meaningfully at me and I sighed, fidgeting as I spoke, "Well, you see, we don't really want to get married right off the bat, you know?"

"You want an…extended engagement?" she asked, raising a brow.

"It's not that, we just don't want to rush into things. We just want to take them slow, you know. There's no reason why we should rush the date. I mean," I gave a small laugh, "we have all eternity, don't we?"

Her eyelids slipped shut over her eyes and I could tell she was seeing into our future. I knew that she wished to see something that would stop us, but unfortunately for her, she didn't. Instead, it looked like things were in our favor.

Opening her eyes, she grumbled, "Fine. But I still want to help plan the wedding."

"And you can," I said hurriedly. "Just as long as you don't pressure me, or Edward, for that matter, into setting a date. I mean, we've only just gotten engaged today."

"If you would've said yes the first time," My eyes flickered to Edward's and he trailed off, smiling sheepishly. I gave a small, but tight smile in return.

I looked over to Rosalie and Esme, who had been standing there silently. "You two are more than welcome to help with things."

They grinned.

"Bella gets to call all the shots," Edward said sternly, staring pointedly at Alice. "If she doesn't like something, then it's not in the wedding. No and's, if's or but's about it."

A bright, smug smile lit up my face as I watched their smiles faltered at the last of his words. Turning my eyes to Edward, I could see that he was smiling, too.


	4. Chapter Three

A/N: As always, thanks for the reviews. I appreciate them. If you have any questions, as always, feel free to PM me.

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Chapter Three

For the third time in the past week and a half, I found myself sitting outside on the front porch swing, staring off into the thicket of trees that surrounded the house and sheltered it from view. I could smell the blood of all the forest animals, but for once in my immortal life, I was not thirsty.

How could I be thirsty when there was so much bothering me right now?

A sigh of annoyance escaped me and I pushed my hair out of my eyes. After we had come back from our 'hunting trip' and the commotion of our announcement had died down, I flew up to the stairs to see if what Edward said was true. At first, I had been reluctant to look at my reflection in the mirror, as I still wasn't accustomed to the oddly beautiful, yet subtly so face that stared back at me.

My eyes had been blood red for as long as I could remember, so when I finally mustered the courage to open my eyes, I bit back a startled gasp of shock. Instead of being greeted by deep burgundy irises like I had been expecting, I found that a pair of orangey-red eyes were staring at me. I had to lean closer to the mirror to make sure that my mind wasn't playing tricks on me. Over my should, I could see Edward leaning in the doorframe, an amused smile on his lips. Turning around, I had flung myself to him, kissing him soundly on the mouth before letting out a squeal of delight.

I couldn't remember being happier in this existence than I had been then. It seemed that I was finally starting to become something like the Cullens. Sure, our diets may have been exactly the same and I may have never drank human blood, but when it came to appearance, I was always the outcast. Never as beautiful as they were; but now, my eyes were starting to resemble theirs. If I couldn't win at one thing, might as well step up to the plate and swing away at another, right?

An odd pang jolted through my chest at the unintentional baseball reference. It not only reminded me of the baseball game in the clearing, but it also reminded me of Phil, which, in turn, brought forth images of my mother to my mind. I squeezed my eyes shut, praying that I wouldn't lose control again, that I wouldn't break down like I had when I saw my mother interviewed by CNN three days after my so-called "disappearance". I had caused her so much pain that it almost wasn't worth it. Yes, I loved Edward with every fiber of my being, but if it wasn't for my mother, I wouldn't be here. I had hurt her in a way that no one else could have, even if I hadn't meant it.

"It's not your fault, you know."

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of Jasper's low, deep voice. "Jesus! You scared the crap out of me, Jasper."

He released a small chuckle, ascending up the steps. Looking into his handsome face, I saw that his eyes were a soft, glistening gold. He must've just come back from hunting.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing toward the swing with a long, pale hand.

I nodded my head, gathering up my legs underneath me. He sat down gracefully on the wooden seat and, following my gaze, trained his eyes on the thicket of trees that surrounded the house.

We sat in silence for an immeasurable time; however, it was not uncomfortable. I had learned that Jasper often preferred silence to incessant talking. Unless it was absolutely necessary to talk, then he would simply stare off and send the calming, reassuring waves, like he was now.

"You're feeling guilty," Jasper remarked offhandedly, his gaze still fixated on the trees. "Why?"

I contemplated my answer. Should I tell him the truth or just what he wanted to hear? Either way, I knew that he would tell Edward, even if he didn't open his mouth and physically tell him - my fiancée. Damn Edward and his ability to read minds! In situations like these, it was one of the most annoying things ever. I resisted the urge to let out a long, drawn out sigh and finally, gave a simple shrug of my shoulders, hoping that it would be answer enough for Jasper.

But of course, it wasn't.

"You can tell me, Bella," soothed Jasper, scooting closer to me on the swinging bench. "I promise I won't tell Edward."

"He'll find out anyway, won't he?" I asked, unable to mask the contempt in my voice. "He always does."

"I can block it from his thoughts. If I don't want him to know what I'm thinking, he won't be able to read my mind."

"I wish it were that simple," I muttered under my breath, pulling my legs onto the seat and tucking them under my chin. "It's never that simple when Edward's involved."

"All right, you can't say that I didn't try," Jasper sighed, pushing himself off of the swing. "If you ever need someone to talk to, Bella, feel free to hunt me down."

I smiled up at him, nodding my head. "I know."

"Don't worry about it so much, Bella," Jasper said. "Whatever it is you are feeling guilty about, you shouldn't. Nothing that has happened over the past ten months is your fault."

And with that, he disappeared inside of the house.

Against my will, a sigh escaped me and I swept my eyes over the front lawn. There wasn't a creature in sight. I could barely hear anything in the distance, aside from the occasional call of a woodland bird. I was all alone, completely absorbed in my own self destructive train of thought. I inwardly wondered where Edward was, what he was doing…

I needed to tell him before someone else did. Alice would have probably Seen it play out already and I wouldn't be entirely surprised if she had already confronted Edward. But that was the thing, I wanted to be the one to tell him, I wanted to ask him if I could go back to Forks and visit my father's grave. The only question was how I was going to go about it.

I growled in annoyance, pushing my hair away from my face before pushing off the swing and lightly stepping across the expanse of the porch. I had no idea where Edward was and until I was prepared with what I was planning on saying to him, I wouldn't be bringing up the subject anytime soon.

X - X - X

_Three days later…_

"Bella?"

My shoulders stiffened as I slowly turned the page. Why did she have to track me down? I pretended like I hadn't heard her, which would only work for a matter of a few seconds. I knew that it was rude to be avoiding her like this, but if I didn't, she would be pestering me with details about the wedding. And I did not want to discuss the wedding now…or in the next five years. Maybe when I hit the decade old mark, I'd talk about the color theme I wanted.

Without tearing my eyes away from the page, I replied, "Yes?"

"May I sit down?" she asked.

"Sure," I responded, pulling my legs closer to myself, my vision still focused on my book. Well, if you wanted to get technical, it was actually Jasper's book, but I had borrowed it from his massive collection for the time being.

I could tell that she was reluctant to speak, otherwise she would've launched directly into what she wanted to say. Maybe it wasn't about the wedding after all. If I wasn't so afraid that it would draw too much attention to myself, I would've breathed out a sigh of relief. But for now, I kept it locked inside, as my curiosity was burning and I wanted to know exactly what she was having so much difficulty asking me.

I was starting to get worried. She hadn't spoken since she'd asked if she could sit down…and that was three minutes ago. There must have been something that was worrying her as well. I closed my book, setting it aside on the coffee table and leaned forward on the couch.

"Alice?" I said, keeping my voice even. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

That seemed to shake her out of her stupor. She blinked rapidly, her eyelids barely fluttering closed before they sprang open again. If I had been human, I wouldn't have been able to catch the quick movement, but I hadn't been human for nearly ten months.

"I saw something that…" she trailed off, gnawing her lip nervously.

My insides froze. Had she seen what I planned to do? "That what, Alice?"

Locking gazes with me, she spoke firmly, "I saw something that worried me. Something that concerned both yourself and Edward. And I feel that it is my responsibility to tell him what you wish to do, since you obviously don't plan on telling him anytime soon."

"No," I said, shaking my head firmly. "It's not your responsibility, Alice. And, quite frankly, I don't think it is any of your business," I added the last part a little _too_ forcefully.

Her eyes hardened; I don't think I had ever seen Alice mad before. Not at me, anyway. Her jaw locked, much like Edward's did whenever he was angry. "Anything that deals with members of my family is my business, Bella." Looking down at her hands, she released a small sigh, her entire frame sagging. "Don't do it."

My eyes widened. "I beg your pardon?"

Picking her head up, she looked into my eyes. "Don't go, Bella. It's not-."

"Don't even tell me it's not safe!" I cried, pushing myself off of the couch. "It's safe for me now! I'm no longer a pathetic, fragile little human girl, no matter how often Edward treats me like one! I can defend myself, you know."

My chest was heaving and, if it was capable, I knew my heart would've been thrumming wildly in my breast. Pushing my hair away from my face, I turned my back to her, the shame of acting like a childish brat slowly sinking in.

When Alice finally spoke, it was in a cold, icy tone that I had never heard her use before and it sent unpleasant shivers shooting up my spine. "I wasn't going to say that it wasn't safe. I just don't want you to hurt Edward. You two have been through enough as it is, you don't need any more conflicts of interest getting in the way."

The guilt hit me like a punch to the stomach. It stole my breath anyway and it hurt badly. Biting the inside of my cheek, I turned around, only to find that she had completely disappeared. The guilt began to throb annoyingly in my stomach, slowly pumping its way through my system as I breathed a heavy sigh and flopped down on the couch.

What was wrong with me? I was so defensive these days, turning everyone against me with stupid, petty arguments that I, not they, had blown out of proportion. I leaned forward and picked the book up off the table, pulling my legs toward my torso. I tried to read, but it was impossible for the book to put me under its former spell. I kept my head bent and eyes trained on the page, but I wasn't really reading, simply staring.

The glinting of the rock on my finger caught my attention and the swirling mass of guilt throbbed again. This was all my fault. If I hadn't given Edward a positive answer, everything would be okay. If I hadn't given him a yes instead of the traditional ( in our case, anyway ) no, then the seedling of visiting my father's grave wouldn't have planted itself in my mind.

_That's not true, Bella. You know it's not true. _

Yes, I did know that it wasn't true. I would've asked Edward if we could go back to visit Charlie's grave, I just didn't know when the moment would present itself. And now, it was staring me straight in the face and waiting for me to make a move. I suppose I should've pushed Edward away in the clearing when he had pulled me into a breath stealing kiss when I had accepted his proposal to tell him what my one condition was. I shouldn't have let myself get so absorbed in his presence, in him, like I always did. Then again, this was Edward I was talking about and even though I was a vampire as well, he was still able to dazzle me like no other.

For the umpteenth time in the matter of a few hours, I sighed and sank further into the couch, abandoning my attempts of reading. It was pointless, really. My eyes traveled around the room, drinking in all the furniture and decorations. I tried to think of this place as my home, but it was nearly impossible. Every time I attempted to convince myself that this was home, a yellow, two story house came into mind and I had to act quickly in order to push it away. Every time I thought of that house, the overwhelming urge to sob came over me, but I knew it was impossible. Not only because it was physically impossible for me to cry, but because I couldn't give any of my family members the notion that I was upset. Lord only knows what they would do to try to get the reason out of me. Besides, I had Jasper to worry about. If I didn't keep my emotions under control, he would be the first one to know and it would only be a matter of times - or seconds, most likely - before everyone in my family knew.

One thing was for sure: I had to tell Edward. If one of his brothers or sisters told him before I had the opportunity, that would only make things worse between us. Sure, we may be engaged, but at times, it felt like we were still recovering from what had happened a few months ago; recovering from the horrible argument in which I claimed that I no longer wanted to lead this life with him because he was so controlling and I could protect myself. I bit back a dry sob at the thought. It had been such a horrible thing to say to him, yet I hadn't been able to hold back the twisted lie. I had known it would hurt him and, at that point in time, I would have done anything to prevent him from asking for my hand in marriage.

Sniffling, I pushed myself off out of the couch and headed toward our bedroom. If there was one place to check first, it would be there. I ran up the stairs and nearly collided with Esme on the landing. She smiled warmly at me, but as she stared into my eyes, her lips quivering, threatening to turn downward in an uncharacteristic frown. I quickly looked away, muttered an apology, and proceeded to the end of the hallway.

Without bothering to knock, as it was _our_ room, I opened the door. Sweeping my eyes over the room, I saw that he wasn't in sight. It was my turn to frown as I turned and left the room. If he wasn't in our room, then he had to be in the garage…right? Maybe he was fixing cars with Rosalie. I could remember him telling me that he wanted to update something or another on the Volvo, so perhaps he had asked for his breathtaking sister's helping hand?

I slowed my step as I came to the foot of the stairs. I took my time walking to the kitchen, my emotions going haywire. I started to panic. What if Edward left again, like he had a few hours after I had been changed? Could I be responsible for yet another rift between us? In reality, I didn't have a choice. I was the cause whether I wanted to be or not. There was no grey between the black and white; this was my fault.

Unless, of course, he didn't know yet. Maybe Alice had been so forceful with me so I would tell him before she had to resort to telling him herself. If I knew Alice as well as I thought I did, that was probably what she was doing. At least, I hoped that's what she was doing.

I leaned against one of the many counters in the kitchen, pulling my cell phone out of the pocket of my jeans. I stared at the small, black phone in my hand, the one I had received from Carlisle and Esme as a Christmas gift. I quickly searched for Edward's number, highlighting it as soon as I came across it. There weren't many names in my contacts. I pressed the phone against my ear, chewing on my nail as it rang three times.

On the fourth ring, he picked up. "Hello," he said, the smile very evident in his voice.

"Hi," I breathed back, my stomach churning uncomfortably. Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, I added, "Where are you?"

"I went into town to buy you something," Edward answered.

My face paled. "You bought me something? You know how much I hate it when you buy me stuff!"

"Consider this an engagement present, Bella. You wanted something?" His tone left no room for any further argument. Besides, I was already the start of a potential argument as it was.

"Right. When do you think you'll be back?" I chewed on my thumbnail.

"Within the hour. Why?" His voice colored with concern.

"Because, we need to talk, Edward."


	5. Chapter Four

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys! They keep me going as you all know by now. Let's try to get more than the normal 20 for this chapter, yeah? Lol. PM me if you have questions!

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Chapter Four

I was pacing like a maniac when I heard his car pull into the drive. I rushed over to the window, pushed the curtain aside, and pressed my nose against the pane. The glass fogged over every time I breathed on it and I rubbed away the film in order to see him. His bronze head gleamed brilliantly in the afternoon sun and, despite the fact I was more than used to it, I still sucked in a breath. He tilted his head upward and found my figure standing in the window. I could tell by the expression on his handsome face that he was concerned about what I had to say.

_You can do this, Bella_, I thought as I wrung my hands, waiting for him to come up the bedroom. _You have to do this. He'd rather hear it from you than from Alice_.

That's not the only thing I was worried about. In truth, it would be quite easy telling him what was on my mind. What I was a worried about was his reaction. I wasn't sure if he would handle it calmly like I hoped he would. In all reality, he would probably have a few heated words to say to me and he would try to talk me out of it.

I could see the scene unfolding right before my eyes and my stomach clenched. I prayed that it wouldn't go as horribly as I thought it would. Maybe I was just overestimating the situation. Maybe he wouldn't react in the way I had convinced myself he would.

I sat down on the bed, sighing heavily. Yeah, right. If anything, he would probably flip out and get our entire family to side with him. In almost all of our arguments, if that's what you could call our minor disagreements that I usually blew out of proportion, his family agreed with him. Of course, he almost always had a lot of evidence to support his side and I was usually left without anything but my sometimes needy and whiny behavior as an excuse for the things I had suggested and done.

They had given up everything for me and yet, I always stood there, asking for the most ridiculous things of them. They never denied me of anything, just said that once I could handle being around humans again, I would be able to go back for just one look.

I gnawed on the inside of my cheek. I was almost positive if my heart could beat, it would be thrumming wildly in my chest. I placed a hand over my heart anyway and willed my conscience to quiet down. My head was already filled with enough negativity, I didn't need anymore flooding my mind when I was trying to confront Edward as an adult.

God, I sounded like a child when I phrased it like that.

My breath hitched in my throat as I heard him ascending the staircase. I knew it was him because of the way he walked up the stairs, taking a measured step each and every time. I could hear him breathing outside of the door, waiting. I knew he was waiting for me to approach the door instead of coming inside. My insides squirmed as I stood up and crossed the room.

Nervously tucking a few stray locks of dark hair behind my ears, I mentally prepared myself for what was to come before I pulled the door open. I realized, in retrospect, this would be one of those memories that we would look back upon and laughed at. At least, I hoped it would go like that. He looked positively gorgeous standing on the other side of the door. His head was bent slightly, locks of auburn hair falling into his topaz eyes. The way his brow furrowed in worry, the way his eyes danced with blatant curiosity took the edge off his apparent and slightly overpowering sexiness and made him look like an innocent child. Even if I knew he was the farthest thing from innocent when it came down to it.

Brief flashes of his bare, pale skin brushing against mine, our legs intertwined, his delicious chest pressed tightly against my bare breasts; they all made my head spin wildly and brilliant dots of purple, black, and blue appeared before my eyes as my legs started to shake in anticipation.

Armed with those wicked thoughts in mind, I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him into the bedroom. Before he could get a word out, I kissed him roughly on the mouth. He seemed startled at first, his lean body cold and rigid against mine before he seemed to gather his wits about him. His lips melted against mine and, suddenly, I was being twirled around, the doorknob pressing into my lower back.

His hungry mouth found my neck and sucked on my pulse point. My knees shook as I leaned into him, my head rolling backward against the door as his able tongue darted out of his mouth and he licked the crescent shaped scar on my neck that he had delivered to me. I fisted his shirt, pushing my lower body against his. This action elicited a delicious moan from him that made more little black spots appeared before my eyes.

I tried to speak, but my voice was lost. Instead, a feral growl came out and Edward pulled his head back, gazing into my eyes. His eyes had turned black and were on fire with desire. I couldn't help but capture his mouth with mine once more. Wrapped his arms tightly around me, he hoisted me up and I wound my legs around his narrow waist. He carried me over to the bed, laying me on my back on the mattress before he slithered up the length of my body, pushing my shirt up my torso and kissing his way up to the pale expanse of my bare throat.

Shiver after shiver quaked through my body. Before I knew it, all my clothes, as well as Edward's, were gone, and we were lost in pure ecstasy of each other again.

God, this was so much better than talking.

X - X - X

My chest was still heaving when I glanced over at Edward. He smiled widely at me, leaning over to kiss me on the mouth. I turned my head away and he caught my cheek. A frown quirked the corners of his entirely edible lips downward and I sighed.

"We need to talk," I insisted, pushing myself up to my elbows.

"You were the one who initiated the kiss," Edward shot back, his hand sliding over the curve of my bare shoulder and resting on the base of my neck. His fingers danced across the surface of my skin and I felt my eyes drifting shut to their own accord. "Besides, it's not my place to deny an incredibly intoxicating girl whom I happen to love with all my heart."

I mentally gritted my teeth, wondering why I had to fall for a completely charming vampire. I stared at him pointedly and he chuckled, holding my head steady so I couldn't turn away from him this time. I happily gave into the kiss, but this time, unlike last time, I kept my wits about me. It would take an atomic bomb - or some really tempting kisses and heavily whispered promises - in order to shake me of my determination.

My head was still fully into the kiss when Edward broke away. His hand was still resting on my neck, his thumb rubbing small circles against my flesh.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked as he lowered his head to my throat, kissing it lavishly.

My breath caught in my throat and, for a few moments, I was at a complete loss of words. All thoughts had fled my head and the only thing I could think about was how good his lips felt against my neck. But somehow, I managed to shake myself out of the momentary stupor that I had fallen into and sighed.

"T-there was something I wanted to ask you," I replied, my voice shaking as I struggled to focus on something other than his mouth feasting hungrily on my throat. I put my hands in his hair, kneading my fingertips into his scalp. "Actually, I wanted to tell you something."

"What's that?" he said, tearing his mouth away from my throat to speak.

I shivered with delight when wisps of his hair tickled my chin and he descended southward, working on my collarbone with exquisite precision. "There's something I've wanted to do for a w-w-wwhile now and - Edward! I can't concentrate when you do that," I reprimanded.

He picked his head up, his chin propped up against my sternum. His lips lifted into an innocent, yet incredibly wicked and delectable grin. His dimple was standing out, too. I felt my entire body turn to jelly as he apologized, "Sorry, love."

Much to my chagrin, Edward scooted back up the mattress and settled himself beside me. "What is it?" he questioned, his voice dripping with genuine concern. I guess he could see the worry and doubt in my eyes.

Or Jasper had sent him some sort of mental communication. I resisted the urge to grit my teeth in annoyance, as I wasn't entirely positive that Jasper was the cause. But I was willing to bet I would find out soon enough.

"Do you promise that you'll consider it before you flat-out say no?" I asked, chewing on my bottom lip as I waited for him to answer.

"Of course," he answered.

Even though I wanted to believe him, I knew that I couldn't. I also knew that he had my best interests at heart, but sometimes, his overprotective ways got old. Very old and, usually, very fast.

"Edward…"

"I mean it, Bella," he promised, picking up my hand and kissing my palm.

The sensation of his cold lips against my skin made me shiver against my will. Damn him and his ability to distract me with the simplest gesture.

He took my face in his hands and gazed deep into my eyes. Even if someone took a crowbar to us, they couldn't break the intensity of his stare, nor the feelings that were swirling in the pit of my stomach.

And suddenly, I was spilling my guts to him.

"I've been wanting to visit Charlie's grave since I found out about his funeral. I want to go back to Forks to pay my respects to my father, but I'm scared that you won't let me go since you're always so concerned about my safety," taking a deep breath, I plowed onward, "and believe me, Edward, I appreciate it. If it wasn't for you and your overprotective ways, I would probably be dead - in the literal sense, not the figurative sense, so shut your mouth right this instant and give up trying to protest - by now. But I can't help feeling guilty about Charlie's death and I just want to say sorry to him before I have to leave him behind forever. I know what you're going to say, that I'll be able to visit his grave in the years to come, but Edward," I said, stopping to wet my lips and placed my hands over his. His fingers instinctively tightened around mine.

"What?" His voice was softer than a whisper and even with my enhanced hearing, I had difficulty hearing him.

"I don't think I can wait that long," I muttered. "I don't think my sanity could handle it. I would drown in my guilt before then and I don't want that to get in the way of our relationship. You've seen what massive amounts of guilt do to us and we both know that our relationship couldn't handle that. And how are we supposed to keep a stable marriage if that happens?! How?"

Much to my surprise, he shook his head. "That's where you're wrong, Bells," he breathed, his sweet smelling breath making me dizzy. His closeness was making me dizzy as well. "Our love could withstand anything."

"While that's a very sweet thing to say, Edward, I can't agree with you. I would feel horrible for not only being miserable and, in turn, making you miserable as well, but could you imagine how Jasper would feel? He'd be drowned in a tidal wave of misery from both you and myself and I couldn't handle that!"

Again, he shook his head and for some reason, I wanted to knock some sense into his gorgeous and brilliant mind. "I could never be miserable when you are around."

"You were miserable after I was changed," I pointed out, mentally doing the conga for triumphing against him for once. I'd like to see what he said in reply to that!

"Only because I had taken the one thing away from you that made you different from the rest of us," he sighed, his fingertips brushing over my collarbone. "I stole you away from the world in a selfish act."

I leaned my forehead against his. "Well, I'm glad you did," I said as I wound my fingers through his.

"I know that now," Edward whispered, touching his lips lightly against mine.

I pulled my head back from his before he could rope me into making love again. Not that I was going to complain about that, I just wanted to get everything out and hear his response before we went back to that. As long as he was here in bed with me, looking scrumptious in all his naked glory, I wouldn't be leaving or letting him get away any time soon.

"So," I began, my voice tentative. "How about it?"

His thumb was still massaging my back of my neck and I saw his eyes glazed over as he contemplated my proposal. I gnawed the inside of my cheek nervously as I anxiously awaited his answer. Even if he said no, I would go anyway. Granted, it would royally piss him off and we'd be at each others' throats for a few days upon my return, but all would be well. But I really wanted him to go with me. I wanted him to say yes with all my heart so we could do this together, so I could lean against him and feel his protective embraced when I lost control of my emotions, which was a guarantee.

"Yes," he said.

My eyes widened. "Really?"

He smiled. "If it is the only way that I can get you to marry me, then yes. We can go."

I grinned widely, straddling his hips. He raised a brow in amusement as I placed both of my hands on his stone chest. Shaking my hair to one side of my head, I lowered my lips to his ear, whispering, "I promise you won't regret this."


	6. Chapter Five

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys! They keep me motivated. Let me know what you think of this chapter; I'm not sure how much I like it and your input matters to me.

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Chapter Five

The next day, Edward had informed Carlisle of our intentions of visiting Forks. Carlisle didn't necessarily agree with the decision and spent a good twenty minutes trying to convince him that this wasn't a wise choice, that too many factors came into play that made the situation too dangerous. But Edward had stood firm under the gaze of his surrogate father and Carlisle gave up, seeing that his attempt to sway his son's mind was fruitless.

Under any other circumstance, I would have wanted Edward to listen to Carlisle, but this was difference. We had to do this for the sake of our relationship. I wouldn't let my misery be the end of us, not that easily, anyway.

We left soon after the message had spread around the family circle and we had packed our bags for a few nights. I wasn't sure how long we were planning on staying, but I figured three days worth of clothing would be more than enough. For the most part, they shrugged and told us to have a good time. Granted, visiting the dead wouldn't be that much of a hoot, but I understood the general message they were trying to communicate.

However, Alice warned us to take precautions, although when Edward demanded to know why, she had no answer to give us. She assured us that it was only because she wanted us to be safe, but something in Edward's eyes told me that he had read differently in her mind. With a final departing hug to Esme, we left the house and began our road trip.

X - X - X

It hadn't been difficult to get over the border, but I suppose that because when the officer ducked his head into the car, he was dazzled by Edward. When I voiced this observation to Edward, he laughed and leaned over, kissing me soundly on the lips. We listened to Michael Buble the entire car ride to Forks.

We stopped a little over fifty miles outside of Forks and checked into a small hotel. It was modest, but a great deal nicer than half of the places we had to stay until we made our way to Denali. After showering, I crawled into Edward's arms, trying my hardest to draw comfort from his embrace, but nothing seemed to work.

As much as I wanted to visit Charlie's grave, I was still hesitant. I would be closing the last chapter of my human life that I still had a firm hold over. I wasn't sure if I was mentally prepared for it, but I knew I had to do this for both mine and Edward's sake. If I didn't get this over with now, it would forever remain a stone in the middle of our path to eternal happiness.

In the circle of his arms, Edward dropped small kisses right above my ear, humming the soothing melody to my lullaby in my ear as his hand combed through my hair.

"I love you," I murmured under my breath, snuggling deeper into his arms.

"I know," he replied, burrowing his nose into my hair. "I love you, too."

"You have no idea how much this means to me," I said, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt.

"I think I have a relative idea," I could practically hear the smile in his voice. He dropped a kiss on my forehead and continued to delicately run his fingers through my hair, stopping every so often to twist a few strands around his fingers.

We lay like that for most of the night. When the next morning dawned, there was heavy cloud cover and a promise of rain. I waited in the room while Edward took a shower. I picked up the remote and began to flip through the channels, not really paying attention to the messages that flashes across the screen.

When we had been on the run from the werewolves, after I had discovered that my disappearance was made national, I avoided the television set. I didn't want to see my mother's crying face of the screen. I didn't want to see what damage had been caused. Most of all, I didn't want Edward to sink back into his rut of guilt.

The door the bathroom opened and Edward emerged, a tight smile on his lips. His hair was dark from water and slicked back. I wasn't used to seeing it slicked back from his face, but it looked nice. He was buttoning the cuffs of a black button up shirt.

"Almost ready?" he asked as he shrugged into a leather jacket.

I nodded and set the remote down on the bed.

"You look handsome," I said as I stood up and walked toward him; when I reached him, I wrapped my arms around his lean waist and pushed myself up onto my tiptoes to kiss him softly on the lips.

That was the understatement on the century. He looked more than handsome; he looked positively breathtaking. The cut of the jacket only emphasis how physically fit he was. I felt inferior standing next to him in my simple, knee length black dress.

He smiled, chuckling under his breath and pressed his forehead against mine. "And you, my dear, look simply…_ravishing_." His hand reached for the zipper on the back of the dress and gave a small tug.

I twirled out of his arms and slapped him playfully on the chest. "Not now," I tried my best to scold him, but it was pointless. Not when he looked so…delectable in his black shirt and slacks. "Besides, is that the only adjective in your vocabulary that you have to describe me these days?"

"It's the only one that's sufficient," he answered, a slow smile playing at his lips as he helped me into my coat, even though it wasn't necessary. "And it's the first one that comes to mind."

I rolled my eyes, thankful that he was trying his hardest to lighten the mood because we both knew that it wouldn't last long.

X - X - X

My stomach was a twisted mess of nerves by the time we pulled up to the cemetery. The soft hum of the car was the only sound I heard in the silence. I wished that Edward would say something reassuring, but he was staring out the window, his ocher eyes focused on the icy rain that pattered against the windows.

He was waiting for me to pull myself together; he knew that I had to do this on my own. I took a deep breath and told myself that I could handle this. I would be able to handle this. I had to tell my father goodbye, it was only right. Closing my eyes, I exhaled heavily and started to open my door.

"Are you sure you're ready?" he asked, his eyebrows knitted together in concern.

I nodded. "As I'll ever be."

He grabbed an umbrella out of the backseat and opened his door. Within seconds, he was over on my side of the car, the umbrella open and held over my head. He extended a hand, I took it, and held onto it tightly, refusing to let go. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and we began our trek through the cemetery.

"This is it," he whispered in my ear, white hot sparks jolting throughout my entire body. He led me through the freshly cut grass toward a simple tombstone.

It was a slab of gray granite, a slick face plate with the rest of the square buried underneath the earth. His arm dropped from my waist as I knelt down in the grass and read the inscription.

**Charles Swan**

**March 6****th**** 1967 - May 14****th**** 2007 **

**Loving Father, Devoted Police Officer **

_**In death, may angels watch over you**_

My breath caught in my throat as I reread the inscription. I could feel tears pooling in my eyes and I tried to push them back. The thought that the tears would never escape only made the situation worse than it already was. I gulped down air and it burned on its way down.

I reached out and traced the engraved letters with the tips of my fingers, the pads of my fingertips brushing over the letters softly. A loud sound echoed in my ears and it took a few seconds for my brain to register that I had been the one who had made the sound.

Edward's hand squeezed my shoulder tightly and I placed my free hand over his, wrapping my hand around his fingers and squeezing. Another dry sob tore through my throat; it felt like my dormant heart was being ripped from my chest.

I didn't know that Edward had crouched down beside me and wrapped me in his embrace until he tucked my head under his chin. I pressed my face against the smooth skin of his neck and dryly sobbed. I fisted a handful of his black shirt and held fast to it. Without meaning to, I beat my hand against his chest and asked one question: "Why?"

That was the million dollar question. Why had all of this happened? Why did Charlie have to die in the accident? Why did my life have to get flipped upside down in the most tragic way? Why couldn't it just had gone according to plan? Carlisle was supposed to change me after graduation; I would've had time to give Charlie the proper goodbye, I would've been able to see my mother one last time in person instead of on the television. I would've been able to talk to Jacob and try to get him to see my side of the argument; I would've tried to get him to see that it was what I wanted.

I wanted eternity and now that I had it, it tasted bitter in my mouth.

It didn't hit me until then that I was going to stay as I was forever. Over time, I would witness the deaths of all the people I held dear to me. Charlie was first, but who was next? What if Renee died? I would have to pay my last respects to her the same way I was paying my last respects to Charlie; I would have to wait until months after the funeral to give the final send off to the woman who had carried me in her womb for nine months and gave birth to me; the woman who had raised me since I was an infant and did a damn good job at it, too.

Is this what my life was going to be like until all the attachments I had to my human life were severed?

I clung to Edward as though my life depended on it. He stroked my hair from scalp to end, planting kisses in my dark locks every so often. He didn't say anything and he didn't need to; knowing that he was there for me was more than enough. Knowing that he would be there to make the pain go away, to ease the horrible clenching in my stomach.

I ran my nose along his collarbone through his shirt, inhaling his scent. An eerie calm washed over me, even as I continued to sob without tears into his chest. His hand rubbed circles on my lower back.

I don't know how long I stared at the tombstone, memories of the past whirling around in my head. While I may not have had as many memories with Charlie as I did with Renee, it was still pleasantly painful nonetheless. Despite the fact that we had plenty of good memories, it was the image of his face yelling at me in the car that seemed to imprint itself in my mind, unwilling to let go.

I shivered and burrowed further into Edward's embrace.

When I finally pulled away and stood up on shaky legs, Edward rose with me simultaneously, but with much more grace. I wobbled on my legs and leaned against him. His arms snaked around my waist and I laid my head against his chest.

"Was it this hard for you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He stiffened underneath me slightly and I tilted my head upward to look into his face. An unreadable expression had slid into place. He shook his head. "No," he said, his voice tight. "I had already lost everything I held dear to me."

I turned my head and kissed his chest, my hand coming to rest over his heart. In a literal sense, his heart was dead to any sort of motion, and I tried to imagine him with warm flesh, with a beating heart, with the exuberance youthful seventeen year old boys obtain. Suddenly, I was obsessed with finding out what Edward was like when he was human, but something about the way he spoke of the past, the way that his voice got tight, warned me that it wasn't a topic open for discussion. That he would tell me in due time.

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

"Don't be," he said, curling his fingers under my chin and lifting it up. "I don't intend on losing you any time soon."

I smiled tightly. I didn't think that it would be best to smile joyously in the middle of a cemetery. Not only did it seem disrespectful, but the smile would most likely be false. In the back of my mind, I tried to ignore the contradicting voice that said Edward's words would be proven false. It made my stomach churn uncomfortable, something else that I didn't need. I had already had my fair share of stomach churning events that day.

We stood over Charlie's tombstone for another hour in a thick, but companionable silence. I felt safe inside the circle of Edward's arm. Even though he was similar to a block of ice, I could feel warmth radiating from deep inside of him.

I was the one to break the embrace. I was the one who grabbed Edward's hand and started back toward the car. I shook the sleeve of my coat back and looked down at my watch. It was a little after four in the afternoon: we had stood at Charlie's grave for three and a half hours.

We were halfway back to the car when Edward stopped suddenly, sniffing the air. I stopped, too, and a rush of sugary sweetness met my nostrils. It smelt pleasant, but the sensation that rolled down my spine was anything but.

I looked at Edward, my eyes as wide as saucers, and saw that he had his eyes closed. His expression was that of annoyance, of determined anger, and I was instantly reminded of the incident in the cafeteria on my first day of school. That only meant one thing: he couldn't read the mind of whomever was stalking us in the cemetery.

His eyes snapped open and we locked eyes. I heard the word in my head before he spoke it. "Run!"

I stared at him, unable to move. I tried to make my feet to comply with the commands my brain was issuing them, but they wouldn't. They remained stubbornly in place. Edward gave me a rough shove and I stumbled, nearly tripping over a headstone.

"Go!" His voice was hoarse and commanding as he growled at me, a pleading look in his now onyx eyes.

I didn't need to be told twice, the look paired with the tone of his voice was enough. I forced myself to take off at a regular sprint, which was still fast to the human eye. I didn't even think of checking for the presence of humans, but I didn't think that any were around. If they were, the bloodthirsty beast that lurked within my chest would've reared its ugly head by now.

I threw a petrified glance over my shoulder just in time to see a stony white figure crash into Edward's lanky form, taking him to the ground. The noise of the crash was deafening. I came to a screeching halt and whirled around, planning on rushing to Edward's aid when I was thrown a good thirty feet.

I slammed into the ground, my head smashing against an in-ground tombstone. When I picked my head up, I saw that the stone was cracked. It was Charlie's.

Before any feelings of remorse could be had, I was being hauled to my feet by my hair. I wiggled as much as I could, flailing my limbs.

"Stop that incessant wiggling, will you?" a sharp voice said in annoyance.

They released me and I fell in a crumpled heap to the ground. I picked myself up quickly and took a defensive stance.

The voice belonged to a dark haired man who looked to be in his mid to late twenties. I knew by the red irises of his eyes that he was a vampire. He threw his head back and laughed, a chilling sound that penetrated my bones.

"So the little vampy girl wants to play, does she?" He laughed in his cruel way again. "She told me that you'd be fun, but I didn't think you'd be this much fun."

There was another loud crash and, against my better instincts, I turned to see what had happened. Edward and another vampire were circling each other like jungle cats, waiting for the first one to make another move. There was a fallen tree strewn over several smashed tombstones.

My vampire tackled me to the ground and we landed with an enormous, resounding crash to the ground, making an indentation with our bodies. He grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head, squeezing as hard as he possibly could. I didn't know why he was doing it until he lowered his lips to my wrist and clamped his teeth down.

I screamed in torturous pain as he tore my hand halfway off my wrist.

I brought my knees up and hit him as hard as I could in the small of his back. He removed his teeth from my other wrist and his eyes flashed dangerously as he roared. I reached up with my good hand and slashed at his face, catching his right eye in my sharp fingernails. I pulled as roughly as possible and out popped his eyeball. I felt like I was going to be sick as it whirled around in a small circle.

The socket of his eye wasn't bleeding like I was expecting it to. He groped for his eye and I grunted, somehow flipped us over. I beat him with my good fist, pummeling his face. I could feel his granite nose breaking as my fist connected with it.

I rolled off him and struggled to push myself to my feet, smashing his eyeball as I took off running.

As I ran, I looked down at my partially severed hand to see that it was already starting to mend itself back to the rest of my arm. Momentarily amazed by the healing process, I had slowed down running and made my second mistake.

The vampire slammed into me from behind, wrapping his arms around my middle and taking me down with him. We struggled against one another before we went crashing through the wall of a mausoleum. The structure threatened to be reduced to rubble as the walls began to cave.

I pushed large pieces of stone wall off my body and started to fight my way out of the mess that was a beautiful mausoleum. I screamed when I came face to face with the skull of a human, pushing it out of my way.

I began to panic and scrambled out of the mess. I was nearly free when a hand clamped down around my ankle and pulled me down the ground. I hit my head against the wood of a coffin, splintering it into a thousand pieces.

He was pulling me backward, toward him. I looked over my shoulder and saw that he had his teeth bared, a razor-sharp row of teeth that would tear my flesh to millions of shredded pieces. He bit into my ankle and his eyes glinted again. I could feel his cold laughter against my skin and he winked at me before giving a rough jerk of his head.

Two things happened at the same time: Edward had come out of nowhere and grabbed the vampire by the scruff of his neck. He lowered his teeth and tore off the vampire's head with one, sickening move. The intense pain of the vampire's teeth being tore roughly out of my skin made me cry out.

"Are you all right?" Edward asked, his voice frantic as he scrambled over toward me.

"H-he tried to take off my hand," I stuttered, holding up my wrist where the fibers of my porcelain skin were still mending themselves.

"Shit," he cursed, holding my face in his hands. I knew the situation was dire when Edward cursed; he rarely ever cursed out loud unless it was under his voice and much too quick for anyone to catch. Edward suddenly took me in his arms and held me close to his chest. "I was afraid that I lost you."

I clung to him, my head a confusing array of frantic thoughts. But only one image remained in my mind: Charlie's cracked tombstone. I buried my face into his chest and we sat there in one another arms, breathing heavily and clinging tightly to each other. I don't know how many times he kissed my hair and told me that he loved me while we sat there.

Before I knew it, I was being hauled to my feet again. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and held me close to his side, the expression on his face that of a protective challenge. I wrapped my arm around his waist as well, daring anyone to touch him.

Seconds after we left the ruined mausoleum, it crumbled to the ground. I didn't want to see the damage that had been caused by the fight that had just ensued. I wouldn't think about the fact that I had cracked Charlie's tombstone.

We ran to the car. I barely had any time to buckle myself in before Edward had thrown the car into drive and was speeding out of the cemetery. He reached across my legs, opening the glove compartment and pulled out the spare cell phone that was hidden inside it. His fingers moved like lightning over the keypad and he pressed it against his ear.

I could hear Alice's loud, panicked voice over the phone. I sent Edward a look and he put it on speaker phone.

"What the hell happened?!" Alice demanded. "I saw someone attacking Bella and-."

"We were ambushed by vampires in the Forks Cemetery," Edward said, his voice cold and detached. "Someone knew that we were going to Forks. Someone knew that we would be there and someone arranged the attack."

I reached over the armrest between us and grabbed his hand, holding it tightly in my grasp.

"Are you both all right?" Alice questioned.

"I'm fine. One of the vampires tried to take Bella's hand off." His eyes flickered down to the hand that he was holding, the one that I had nearly lost. "But he didn't succeed."

Alice was silent on the other end for a long time. Edward was racing down the highway, ignoring the blaring horns of drivers that he cut off and swerved around. Finally, Alice broke her silence, "How long do you think it'll be before you get here?"

"Seven hours tops," Edward answered immediately, sliding over into the next lane; a driver honked their horn loudly and Edward clenched his jaw.

"What should I tell the others?"

"Tell Carlisle to take Emmett's Jeep down to the Kamloops. We'll meet him at the same motel that we stayed at when we had to leave Forks." He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "We can decide what to do next from there. For all we know, these could've been a pair of newborns fighting for their territory." Even as Edward spoke, he didn't sound like he believed his own words.

On the other end of the line, Alice released a heavy sigh. "Promise us that you'll be careful."

"I promise," Edward said automatically, his voice still detached and hollow. He disconnected and threw the cell phone over his shoulder, where it landed in the back seat with a dull thump. And that was the last sound I heard until we reached Kamloops.


	7. Chapter Six

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys! They keep me motivated. Let me know what you think of this chapter; I'm not sure how much I like it and your input matters to me.

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Chapter Six

When we pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, the red Jeep was already there, waiting in a spot nearest the room at the far end of the building. Edward pulled the Volvo into the space next to the Jeep and shut off the engine. He was about to leave the car when I grabbed his hand.

His eyes locked with mine. "What?" he asked, his voice still hollow. It was starting to frighten me; I had never seen him this detached before.

"We'll figure everything out," I said.

His gaze penetrated mine and I felt like my mind was open to him. I didn't like the feeling, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from his. He didn't say anything as he took my hand off of his wrist and opened his door, sliding out of the car gracefully.

I sat in the car, staring at my hand, wondering what had just happened. I didn't have much time to think about it, as my door was being pulled open. I stepped out of the vehicle, Edward took a hold of my hand, and I followed him into the hotel room.

The decorations hadn't changed a bit. The room was still a hideous shade of yellow and orange, caught between the color of cat vomit. My eyes flickered over to the television and I held back a smile at the brutal letters of the blaring advertisement of special television channels. I was surprised to see that Esme hadn't come along with Carlisle. In fact, I had been expecting someone to come with him, but he was alone.

The door closed behind us and I sat down on the bed. Edward sat beside me, still holding fast to my hand, and Carlisle took the only armchair in the room, pulling it closer to the bed.

"Alice told me that your hand was almost severed off," he said conversationally.

I nodded. "Yeah, it was."

"May I see it?" he asked and I extended my hand. He took it between his cold fingers, inspecting the wound. An ugly, white scar ran thick around the diameter of my wrist. The scar was paler than the rest of my skin and a few degrees colder, resembling the five bites in the shape of crescent moons on the rest of my body. Carlisle was careful in his prodding of the wound, in his gentle examination of my almost amputation.

After a few minutes of inspecting my hand with the precision of a most skilled doctor, he released my hand. "It looks like it healed properly. It might be more receptive to the sense of touch, but other than that, it should be fine."

I nodded my head in understanding and I returned my hand to my lap. Edward squeezed the hand he held within his own.

Carlisle turned his amber gaze to Edward. "Tell me everything that happened starting from the beginning."

Edward cleared his throat, let go of my hand, and began to pace around the room as he told the story. I thought that he would skip some of the unimportant details, but he told Carlisle everything, just like he had requested. I watched with rapt attention as Edward spoke; he put it in such poetic terms that I couldn't pretend that I wasn't interested in what he had to say, even if I had lived the event.

By the time he got to the attack, he was wringing his hands frantically, pushing them through his thick hair and gesturing wildly with them. It seemed that Edward's attacker had been much better trained in the arts of combat than the one that had fought me. Unbuttoning the cuffs of his dirtied black button up, he rolled back the sleeve and showed Carlisle the crescent shaped scars that ran up the length of his arm to his elbow at various intervals.

My eyes widened at the sight of them and I leapt off the bed, rushing over to him and taking a hold of his arm. "Edward!" I cried. "You didn't tell me that he bite you!"

Edward pulled his arm out of my grasp and rolled his sleeve back down. "It's nothing."

I glared at him, my eyes stony. He returned my stare, his eyes vacant and blank. I wasn't like what was happening before my very eyes. This was the exact thing that I had been trying to avoid. I dropped my hands to my side and returned back to my position on the bed; I could feel Carlisle's eyes on me.

"So," Carlisle began. "After you…decapitated them, did you burn their remains and scatter the ashes?"

"No," Edward answered, his jaw locking into place and his eyes flashing with self disappointment; his nostrils flared slightly as he exhaled deeply. "There wasn't time to do that. I would've, but I was afraid that there was more of them watching and I wanted to get Bella out of there as soon as possible."

"Did you see any others?"

"No, if there were any, they were not in plain sight." Edward sat down on the bed next to me, a good ten inches of space between us, and rested his elbows on his knees, burying his hands in his hair. "I'm not sure if they were defending their territory or if…" he trailed off.

"If what, Edward?" Carlisle pressed gently.

I was suddenly glad that Carlisle had come alone, that he hadn't brought Jasper like I thought he would've; aside from Carlisle, it seemed that Jasper was the only one that could talk some sense into Edward. However, it was easy to see that Carlisle was obviously the best one for the job, even if Jasper could manipulate the emotions of a room. Carlisle was the one who could get Edward to talk without having to use any sort of special power.

Edward picked his head up and I saw, for the first time, a glimmer of fear in his onyx orbs. "If they were sent by Victoria or worse."

With a lump in my throat, I asked, "Who or what could be worse than Victoria?" A shiver ran down my spine as I spoke the name. I reached out and grabbed Edward's hand for comfort, lacing my fingers through his.

His hand was limp in mine. "It could be the Volturi, for one, but I highly doubt that they would send anyone to eliminate us. After all, we have met their demands in changing you and they would have known by now that you were a vampire. Unless someone from the Volturi guard is rebelling against the rest of the Volturi, but again, I highly doubt that's a possibility."

"Who else could it have been then?" I regretted the question as soon as it left my mouth.

"It could be the werewolves," Edward answered, his eyes going hard, his tone of voice cold and distant.

It had been the exact response that I hadn't wanted to hear. The werewolves had chased us around for nearly four months, running us all around the country to try to escape them. I thought that they would have been over the broken treaty. I had thought that they had come to realize that my life had been saved when Edward delivered the fatal kiss, that they would be happy that I was still a part of this world.

But I had been wrong and naïve for thinking so. I knew deep within my heart that I didn't believe what my head was telling me, what my head was trying to convince me. I knew for a fact that I hadn't fully believed the words my head had repeated time after time. It was stupid of me to try to convince myself that the werewolves to relinquish their vendetta against us.

"But how would they have known we were coming?" I asked. "You said it yourself in the car, someone knew that we were planning on coming to Forks and planned the attack. Besides, why would a pair of newborn vampires be working for the likes of werewolves. We both know its impossible for vampires and werewolves to coexist in peace; we've seen enough of that in the past."

Edward had sprung up from his position on the bed beside me before I had the time to register what was going on. He had picked up a lamp and thrown it against the wall before Carlisle or I could stop him. His chest was heaving as realization struck him. He sat back down on the edge of the mattress, leaned over his legs, and buried his hands in his hair again, drawing deep and steady breaths.

I exchanged a glance with Carlisle and he nodded his head, rising to his feet fluidly. He laid a hand on Edward's shoulder, gave it a brief squeeze and left the room. The lock in the door clicked shut behind him as he went.

"It's just so frustrating not knowing what's going on," Edward murmured, his voice thick with emotional constraint. "I hate it." His voice had dropped down to a barely audible whisper at this point.

I scooted closer to him and wrapped my arms around him the best I could in his hunched over position. I rested my cheek against the top of his head of dark auburn locks and held him close to my body. It was the first instinct that had come to mind and, somehow, it seemed right.

He didn't respond to my touch and I hadn't expected him to. His chest continued to heave as he drew deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. I could feel the muscles in his upper arms stretch and pull as he clenched and unclenched his fist. Edward didn't speak and neither did I.

I wasn't accustomed to assuming the role of supporter, not when it came to Edward and I. I was used to being the supported one. I wasn't used to being the stronger of us; I was used to being the weaker one. I was the one who always needed to be held in hopes of getting myself under control, not Edward. I knew that everyone had a breaking point, that everyone's exterior mask faltered at one point in time, but I guess I hadn't been expecting it from Edward. I wasn't used to seeing him so vulnerable, so completely…helpless.

I found myself wishing that I knew what to do. The only person I was used to supporting was my mother, Renee. She had always needed guidance and sometimes, after she got dumped by a boyfriend, I would have to hold her while she cried. I never had a chance to play the heartbroken daughter in her presence; I had played the role of a zombie-esque daughter, but that's as far as it went. But when it came to Edward, I didn't know how to handle the situation. Besides, it wasn't like chocolate would mend the situation.

When he sat up, my arms slipped from his lanky body. He pushed a hand through his hair once more, disheveling it before he released a hefty sigh.

Neither of us said anything as he rose from the bed, stretched his arms over his head, and walked toward the bathroom, where I assumed he was planning on taking a shower. We were, after all, completely filthy. My hair was matted down with dust and dirt, mud was smeared all over my alabaster skin and clothes. Edward's shirt was torn as were his black slacks. He, too, was covered with dried dirt and clumps of mud, but unlike me, he still managed to look inhumanly attractive. I shook my head to myself, a small threatening to upturn my lips as I rose from the bed and followed him into the bathroom, locking the door behind us.

X - X - X

Carlisle came back to the hotel room three hours later. The dark circles under his eyes looked considerably lighter, as did the shade of his eyes; he had gone hunting. He smiled tightly at me as he took his seat in the singular armchair in the room, where he had been sitting in the first place.

"Where's Edward?" he asked.

"He's outside talking to Alice, I think."

I saw his eyes scan the room and stop at the wastebasket. The remains of the broken lamp were stuffed into the trash can haphazardously. He didn't say anything, however, just leaned back in the chair. The silence that hung in the room was not uncomfortable, it was quite the contrary actually.

A few minutes later, the door swung open and Edward walked into the room, slipping his cell phone into his pocket.

"So?"

I said nothing, but turned my eyes to Edward. He smiled forcefully at me as he took a measured breath.

"Jasper and Emmett are going to go back to Forks-,"

"No!" I interjected immediately, shaking my head firmly. "They can't go down there! It's too dangerous! What if something happened to them?"

"Bella," Edward said, his voice gentle and musical in my ears. He took me by my shoulders and steered me back toward the bed; I hadn't even noticed that I'd stood up.

"There's no need to worry," Carlisle soothed. "Emmett and Jasper are more than capable of getting a thorough job done and coming out unscathed. They know what they're doing."

I knew I should've felt comforted by his words, but I wasn't. Just knowing that they were in Forks, that they were willingly putting themselves in the path of danger, made me nervous. If something happened to either of them…

"They're going down to Forks to see if they can pick up any unfamiliar scents," Edward continued, as though I hadn't interrupted. "I told them to start with the cemetery first and go from there. If they get any leads, they're supposed to call me. And Alice'll know if something is going to happen to them."

"Unless the wolves are involved," I muttered under my breath bitterly. As much as I was trying to prevent myself from pinning the blame on Jacob, I felt a stab of revulsion ripple through my body before I could stop it.

Edward sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose as he nodded. "Unless the werewolves are involved," he repeated, a note of dread in his tone.

I turned my eyes back to Carlisle. "Do you think the werewolves are involved?" Everyone seemed to value Carlisle's opinions and I found myself amongst that particular group of people.

"There's a distinct possibility that they are," he said, a worried expression momentarily flashed across his face before he regained his composure. Never the weak one, Carlisle. "Or this may be the workings of Victoria."

We were back to square one, the exact same place we had been when we had come to this hotel in the first place. I tried not to feel bitter, but I couldn't help it. I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the headboard.

"Rosalie, Esme, and Alice are packing things up as we speak and have arranged for movers to pick up all the furniture and move it to our storage lockers in Montreal," Edward said suddenly, breaking the awkward silence that had settled over the room. "You know, just in case it escalades to that level again."

Something in the pit of my stomach told me that things were going to be worse than they were last time. I moved my arms so they were resting over my stomach and sighed heavily, stirring the strands of damp locks that hung in my face. I didn't want to close my eyes, for I feared the images that might appear behind my eyelids. A shiver crept down my spine.

Suddenly, Carlisle rose from his position on the armchair.

"Where are you going, Carlisle?" Edward asked out loud.

I knew the only reason why they weren't having a mental conversation, at least on Edward's part, was because I was in the room. Ever since they had told me about Charlie's death, every time it was just the three of us in a room, they communicated verbally. The odd thing was that, even though Carlisle couldn't read minds, whenever he and Edward exchanged in silent conversation, one could swear that he could. It was one of the oddest, yet interesting things I had ever witnessed.

"I need to make a call," he said, smiling gently at me. "It might save us some time." His eyes locked with mine. _And get us some help_.

I nearly jumped at the sound of Carlisle's smooth, soothing voice in my head. My eyes must've bugged out of my skull because the line of Carlisle's brow pinched together and he stared at me like I had spoken in a foreign, long forgotten tongue.

"What is it, Bella?" Carlisle questioned in concern.

I shook my head hurriedly. "It's nothing. I-I just thought I saw a spider on the wall." I offered a weak, pathetic smile. He stared at me for another pregnant moment before nodding his head, a look of subtle disbelief in his ocher eyes.

The door clicked close behind him and I rolled my eyes; I knew that was going to come back and bite me in the ass sooner or later.


	8. Chapter Seven

A/N: I'm trying to get these chapters out as fast as I can, but sometimes, it's hard to update once a week. So, if I don't update one week, that doesn't mean I've given up. It just means I'm busy. Anywho, thanks for the reviews. I love them and would appreciate more!

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Chapter Seven

When neither Jasper nor Emmett had called Edward's cell phone after twelve hours, I started to panic. I had long since given up pacing across the room, as Edward was doing the very same and we kept colliding with each other. As of the moment, I was sitting at the foot of the bed, my legs crossed and left foot bouncing rapidly.

My eyes flickered over to the slim, silver cell phone that sat on top of the dresser and remained there for several minutes. Ring, I found myself mouthing silently as I looked pointedly at the phone. But it remained silent and my stomach was still a twisted knot of nerves that only seemed to get more tangled as the day progressed.

Edward's thigh brushed against my foot as he walked past and my eyes found his face. His jaw was a hard, set line; his eyes were even harder than the set of his jaw. They were pitch black in color and every so often, I would see the muscles in his cheek flinch and his nostrils would flare. He had already broken one lamp, we didn't need another one broken.

He was coming back to begin a new circle of pacing when I reached out and grabbed his wrist. He stopped immediately and his gaze found mine.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"As if you don't know," I sighed, giving his arm a small pull in my direction. Edward came to sit down beside me on the bed, stiff and unemotional. I leaned my head on his shoulder and snaked my arm through his, hugging it close to my chest. "Do you think something's gone wrong?"

"No," Edward said, his voice quiet and soothing as his arm came around me and drew me closer to his stone body.

"Then why haven't they called?" I questioned, desperate for answers.

"Because they're doing a thorough job," he replied, his tone impatient. "I gave them strict…orders, if you will, to not leave any rock, stone, or tree branch unturned. They promised me that they would search high and low and I know that they don't have any intention of going back on their word." The impatience left his voice as he sighed, fingers dancing along the line of my bottom rib. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so rude."

"I know," I whispered as I snuggled deeper into his chest.

His other arm folded me close to him and I pressed my face against the left side of his chest, close to where his heart should be. It was times like these, when I was tucked away in the safety of his arms, that I liked to imagine the sound of Edward's heartbeat. Having never heard the precious sound before, imagining it was the only other option that I had left. I was sure that his heartbeat would've been strong and steady, never skipping a beat, no matter the situation. My hand came to rest on top of his heart and I traced the typical, Valentine's Day heart on the expanse of chest through the fabric of his clean, plain white cotton tee shirt.

I'm not sure how long we stayed like that, but I know that it was one of the most comfortable, yet unsettling experiences I had ever had in my entire existence. It was hard to explain, but there was an odd feeling that I kept getting from that particular embrace. It wasn't a sense of finality, more of acceptance, but the acceptance was hardly positive. It was the realization of just how tedious the situation was and how dangerous it could get. I swallowed the lump before it could form in my throat, hoping that useless tears would not begin to pool in my eyes.

Every so often, Edward's cool touch would leaves its comfortable resting place on the base of my spine and slowly travel up the line of my spine, making me shiver pleasantly, which only succeeded in making me feel mildly guilty that I could be experiencing a minor to moderate amount of pleasure when Jasper and Emmett were risking their lives to uncover some information on a bunch of silly vampires. Well, not that they were silly. The situation was actually very dire and the ones who had attacked us had been well trained, not to mention out for blood.

Like the silence that had settled over the room, the mystery still remained as to why the vampires had attacked Edward and I in the first place. We had simply been visiting Charlie's grave, the tombstone of which was now cracked, no thanks to the solid mass of granite that was my forehead, and were suddenly ambushed. None of it made any sense at all. If anyone should have attacked us, it should've been the werewolves. They were the ones with the vendetta against us, the ones who had chased us around all of Canada for three months before they had finally given up, accepting defeat.

In all actuality, I didn't want the werewolves to be the ones behind the attack. That would only throw into realization that Jacob had meant every word he had said in the meadow on the night that had changed my life for the worse. Over the past ten months, I had been trying to deny the fact that Jacob had ever said those words, much less meant them. But now…I just wasn't sure. Jacob had been the best friend I had ever had and now…well, everything was just so blurry now. I was afraid of what would happen, of what could happen.

Just as I shifted deeper into his arms, the crisp sound of Moonlight Sonata chirped through the air. I was being forced out of the shelter of Edward's arms in the blink of an eye, but I didn't find myself caring. Edward flipped the cell phone open and pressed it to his ear just as I came to stand beside him, my hand resting on his shoulder, reminding him that I was hear and just as eager as him to find out what was going on.

He nodded tersely and muttered quickly into the receiver of the cell phone, so fast that I couldn't make out what he was saying. I knew that he had done it on purpose. Locking my jaw, I struggled to hold back a scathing remark that would've ignited another one of our arguments.

It wasn't even a full minute before he said a quick goodbye and snapped the phone shut, signaling the end of the conversation. He turned toward me and I looked up into his eyes, eager to find out what was going on.

"So?" I pressed, biting the inside of my cheek.

"Nothing," Edward said, sounding more bitter than he intended. He tossed the phone onto the bed angrily and began to pace relentlessly. Back to square one, I could see.

"You mean they didn't find anything?" I asked.

"Not a damn thing," he replied, his tone becoming harsher and more aggravated by the second. "Jasper said they searched everywhere, all over the cemetery, but they couldn't track a scent any further than twenty five miles outside of the graveyard, which basically lead them nowhere."

"Oh," was all I was able to muster.

He sighed heavily and dropped into the only armchair in the room, his hands buried in his bronze hair. "This is just so…infuriating, knowing that even with thorough searching nothing has been found," he picked up his head and looked toward the door, a contemplative look flickering across his face and disappearing so quickly, I wondered if I had made it all up. "Maybe I should go down to Forks and assist them."

My eyes hardened as I glared at him. "Don't even _think_ about it," I growled furiously. My fists started to clench at my sides and I struggled to swallow the outrage that had gathered on the tip of my tongue. I had to remind myself that another argument was definitely not what we needed at this point in time.

Edward's onyx eyes found mine and my jaw set itself again. "If you even think about leaving," I continued, anger boiling on the back of my tongue, "the engagement's off." For further effect, I tugged the beautiful ring off my finger and placed it on the top of the dresser.

"What?" His voice was barely above a whisper, but the tone itself could cut through the thickest of glaciers.

"You heard me," I said, swallowing the emotion that threatened to clog my airways. "If you leave and go down to Forks to help them, so help me God, I will call off the wedding."

"You'll call off the wedding if I go down to Forks to assist my brothers in something that might save all of our lives," he repeated, sounding incredulous.

I nodded as sternly as I possibly could; my clenched fists were shaking, but not with anger. "Yes," I answered.

He stared at me before shaking his head, not missing a beat. "You're ridiculous."

"Don't even go there, Edward," I said coolly. "We both know that if the situation was reversed, you wouldn't let me go. And don't even try to deny it!" By this point in time, all the former calm my voice had retained was gone and I was fuming.

"Of course I wouldn't let you go," he shot back. "You would get yourself killed within the first five minutes of being there!"

I stomped my foot on the ground before I could stop the impulsive reaction. "The same damn thing could happen to you, Edward!"

"No, it won't."

"Why won't it happen to you?" I asked. "What's the difference between us?"

"You are-,"

"Weak?" I supplied. "Is that it? Do you think I'm so pathetic and helpless that I can't defend myself against my own kind?"

His jaw locked and, against his better judgment, he nodded his head. "That's exactly how I feel."

"I can defend myself!" I shouted, defiant.

"After that display in the cemetery, you could've fooled me," he replied harshly.

I stared at him, slack jawed and mildly hurt. A jolt of pain shook through my chest and I struggled to keep myself together. I could feel the backs of my eyes prickling with unshedable tears and I tried to push them back.

Almost immediately, the tension in his face had fled and he rose fluidly from his chair. "Bella-,"

"Don't," I growled, wrapping my arms around my torso. "Just don't, Edward."

"I didn't mean it like that," he said hurriedly, his voice returning to its lower volume, to its soothing tenor.

"Then how did you mean it?" I challenged. "Calling someone weak is calling someone weak, no matter how you phrase it."

Edward sighed, his shoulders tensing as he brought one hand up to his nose and pinched the bridge together, his eyes screwed shut.

"I'm just trying to protect you," he whispered softly.

"I know," I responded, sighing heavily. "But that doesn't mean you have to go down to Forks to help Jasper and Emmett out. You said yourself that they had the situation covered. If you really want to keep me protected, you wouldn't leave my side."

Edward was silent for a long while. We stared at each other, looking at one another without really seeing. I could tell by the set of his jaw that he was stubbornly thinking it over in his head and each time, he was losing the battle with his natural born instinct, to protect me, even if it meant separating himself from me.

Finally, after what seemed like centuries, he spoke, "I believed that they could get the job done, but after what Jasper had reported to me, it sounded like they needed the help; that they were asking for me to help them." He sighed again. "I can't leave them like that, Bella. They need my help with the tracking-,"

"You're not even a good tracker," I pointed out. It was a low blow, I would be the first to admit to that, but I knew that it was effective, least of all true.

"I know that," he grounded out through gritted teeth. "But they need all the help they can get."

"Why can't Carlisle go?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest and leaning my weight on one leg.

"He's on his way to meet up with Tanya, to see if she and the Denali clan with help us out," he answered smoothly.

My eyes widened and I gasped. "When did he leave?"

"Earlier," Edward said. "When he left to make a phone call, he gave Tanya a ring and they agreed to meet to further discuss the situation."

"So," I began, drawling slightly. "You would leave me here by myself to go down to Forks?"

"Of course not," Edward scoffed, laughing. "I would wait to leave until Carlisle came back."

"Do you not trust me?" I asked, my anger returning.

"It's not a matter of trust, Bella," he said hurriedly. "It's a matter of strength and skill."

"And you think I'm lacking those?"

Edward pinched his brow again. "Bella," he drawled, his tone colored with annoyance.

"It's what you're implying!" I shouted. "That everyone else is more efficient, much more stronger than I am. I can take care of myself, you know."

He dropped his arm and glared at me, his eyes hard. "Don't you understand that I'm doing this because I love you? That I'm surrounding you with people I trust because I know they'll take care of you and go to the ends of the earth to protect you?!"

I hadn't been expecting him to explode. I was the one who always did the yelling in our arguments. His voice always remained low and cool, never exceeding what a teacher would call an "indoor voice". So, it was needless to say that I was more than startled when he shouted at me. I was frozen in my place and I blinked slowly.

"I'm not doubting your strength, Bella," he continued, his chest heaving and his eyes full of expression, a rare display in itself; a shiver ran down my spine. "You might not be the most skilled in our family, that much is true, but I'm not doubting that you possess an immeasurable amount of strength; we all do. I just…don't want anything unnecessary to happen to you that could've been preventable." He pushed a hand through his thick hair, ruffling it up more so than I had been minutes before. "What if something terrible happened to you that could've been avoidable had Emmett or Jasper have been here? How could I live with myself then?"

I stood there, my arms falling to my sides and resolve breaking. I could understand his argument because it was the exact same thing that I was feeling at the moment. I could feel the tears again and this time, I didn't bother pushing them away.

"What if something happened to you, Edward," I began, my voice shaky. "What if something happened to you in Forks that could've been stopped, had I put up a better argument and kept you by my side? How would I live with myself then, huh? Have you ever considered that?"

"I won't allow anything of the sort to happen to me," he replied, sounding a little too sure of himself.

My eyes narrowed. "You are not invincible, Edward!" I was shouting again. "You can't determine what does and does not happen to you!"

Edward returned to his chair in the corner, looking helplessly. Leaning over his legs with his elbows resting on his knees, he rubbed his face and said, "This isn't getting us anywhere."

I leaned against the lip of the dresser, my arms folded over my chest again, and nodded in agreement. "I know. If you would stop being so-,"

"Bella," he said, his voice unsure and begging. "Just please…stop. I don't want to argue anymore."

Another blanket of tension shrouded the room like a hazy cloud cover hides the sun from view. I could feel the tension creeping up my arms, settling into my bones, and making me feel uncomfortable. My skin felt alive and very aware of everything going on in the room. I refused to look over at him because I knew that I would have to admit defeat. His voice had been so tired that I had to obliged to his command. I would feel like a horrible person if I hadn't…not that I already didn't feel terrible as it was.

The beginning fragment of Moonlight Sonata chipped away at the frosty iciness that had covered the room and Edward reached for the phone, flipping it open and holding it against his ear. He sighed and handed me the phone.

"It's for you," he said.

Confused, I took the phone from his hand, my fingertips brushing against the smooth surface of his knuckles. We locked eyes and the argument was over. A shared expression of sorrow and remorse that ended one of the worst fights that we'd had to date. I smiled softly at him and he grabbed my hand, wrapping his strong fingers around my much smaller ones.

"Yes?" I said into the receiver.

"Bella?" Alice chirped. "You aren't serious, are you?"

"About what?"

"About calling off the wedding," she cried shrilly. Edward winced; he had heard it too.

"Well," I said, chewing the inside of my lip. Was I serious or had I been bluffing? To be quite honest, I wasn't sure. For a moment, I had been entirely serious in what I had said and done, but now, I wasn't entirely positive where I stood.

"Bella?!"

"No," I answered.

She sighed heavily. "Thank God! I saw a vision of you taking off the engagement ring and storming out of the room."

"I took off the ring," I said. "But I didn't storm out of the room."

"Like I said, thank God. I was just about to climb into the Mercedes and come to Kamloops to knock some sense into that silly head of yours."

"It's a good thing you didn't," I replied. "We've handled everything now."

"Good," Alice said; I could practically hear her smile on the other end of the phone. "We still have to go wedding dress shopping."

The small smile that had worked its way onto my face fell and I hurriedly snapped the phone shut before anything else could be said. Shoving it into Edward's free hand, I said, "Turn it off. Now."

He grinned at me, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing it as he pressed the power down button and phone shut off.


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

It was nearly four o'clock in the morning when I first felt the claws of hungry scraping the sides of my stomach. My mouth had been watering the entire day, not only from an unfed thirst, but because the faint scent of the delicious human girl who was waiting behind the desk in the front office had been wafting in the general direction of our room since the breeze had picked up later in the evening.

"Stop fidgeting," Edward said, not looking up from the magazine he had found in one of the bedside table drawers. Technically, it was a TV Guide from 1995 and apparently, it was profoundly interesting.

"I can't, I'm bored," I replied, heaving a heavy sigh as I flopped down onto the bed on my back, like they do in the movies. "And starving. That human girl in the front office isn't helping, either." I tilted my head back so I could see his lean figure stretched out across the bed, his head bent and halo of auburn hair surrounding him. "Is it the same girl from before? From the last time we were here?"

A small smile worked its way onto his lips and he nodded his head faintly.

My jaw snapped suddenly and I found that my teeth were starting to grind together. Beside me, Edward chuckled.

"What?" I asked, my tone scathing.

"The jealousy," he answered, still laughing.

I flipped onto my stomach, propping myself up on my elbows and supporting my chin with my hands. "What's so funny about that?"

"Nothing," he said, lowering the ancient TV Guide and ruffling my hair with his free hand.

I pouted my lips at him. "Won't you please tell me?"

With a consenting sigh, he nodded his head again. I smiled and army crawled my way toward his side, causing a smile to reappear on his lips. "I just never thought that you would be jealous of a human girl now that you have me for all eternity."

I raised a brow as I rested my chin on his bicep, turning my head slightly to kiss the hard muscle of his arm. "Feeling a bit cocky?"

"You have no idea," he replied, a huge grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

It took me a few minutes to process what he was implying, but once it clicked in my head, my eyes widened and I gasped. "Edward!" I yelped, playfully smacking him on the chest. He laughed, throwing his head back as his laughter rumbled deep in his chest and pulled tightly at the strings around my dormant heart. I went to smack him again, but he grabbed my hand. "I can't believe you just said that!"

Edward chuckled as he pulled my hand toward his mouth, placing a small kiss on the inside of my palm. "Are you really that surprised?" he asked as his mouth fluttered around the base of my wrist, his lips slowly working their way up my arm.

"Yes!" I exclaimed, pulling my arm out of his grasp and holding it against myself. "Is that all you ever think about anymore?" I jabbed.

He shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant gesture and I found myself laughing. He smiled widely at me as I leaned forward and kissed him soundly on the lips. I went to pull back after a few short moments, but Edward placed a hand on the back of my neck and secured my mouth to his, the kiss turning more heated by the moment.

I had climbed onto his lap, my legs straddling either side of his narrow hips, and my shirt was halfway off my torso when I felt Edward tense slightly beneath me. My brow pinched together, but I continued to kiss him and, within seconds, he was responding again, his cold hands massaging tantalizing circles into my lower back. I moaned into his mouth, sucking hard on his bottom lip.

Then the door opened. Was it impossible for us to have one single moment together without it being ruined by our family members?

From the doorway, Emmett let out a low whistle. "Horn dogs."

I unlatched my lips from Edward's and reluctantly returned to my spot on the bed, the feeling of mild disappointment spreading throughout my body.

Beside Emmett, Jasper rolled his eyes. "I told you we shouldn't come in here just yet."

"But I wanted to see-,"

"See what?" I asked, straightening the hem of my shirt as I rose to my feet. Edward came to stand by me, his hand finding my waist.

"He wanted to see how 'far along' we were," Edward answered, the tone of his voice cool. He turned his darkened amber eyes to Emmett and I knew that they were having another one of those weird eye conversations. Emmett might not be able to read minds, but I could tell by the look on his face that he knew to avoid being alone with Edward for a while.

"We would've gone all the way if it wasn't for them," I muttered under my breath, pushing myself up to my tiptoes to kiss the hollow beneath his ear.

Edward turned his face toward mine and planted a kiss on my lips. I grinned against his mouth and returned the kiss, however tiny it had been.

"Please," Jasper said desperately. "Try to keep your hormones under control. It's impossible being around you two when you're all…lovey."

"At least you don't have to deal with explicit mental images," Edward returned smoothly, cocking his brow slightly.

A breeze drifted through the open door, carrying with it the tantalizing scent of the girl in the front office. Venom flooded my mouth and I clenched my fists at my side. Unfortunately, I hadn't been able to control a low growl of pleasure from escaping my throat. Jasper's eyes flitted over to me and we locked gazes. His eyes widened slightly in alarm and he turned to Edward, who nodded almost imperceptibly at him. Jasper quickly shut the door, securing the lock and the dead bolt into place.

"Thanks," I murmured between pants of breath. I was holding onto a fistful of my shirt, my nails having slashed small slits into the fabric. I cursed under my breath, rolling my eyes as I took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"You weren't the only one affected, Bella," Jasper reassured me as he leaned against the dresser, his hands massaging his temples in a slow, rhythmic motion.

As horrible as it sounded, it was nice to know that I wasn't the only one that struggled with the irresistible blood of humans. And to think that Jasper had been around a century longer than I had! Of course, his circumstances had been completely different from the rest of the Cullens, which explained his lasting lust for human blood.

Once Emmett settled himself in the armchair in the corner, Edward picked up his head, for he had been staring at his feet, and asked the question that no one was eager to hear the answer of.

"Did you find anything?"

Emmett and Jasper exchanged a look and then turned their attention to Edward. Before they could silently explain to him what was going on, I interrupted.

"Hey! No telepathic communications. I don't have mind reading abilities here!"

Emmett laughed shortly while Jasper sent me a look of mild surprise; clearly he hadn't been expecting my sudden outburst.

"We picked up a scent," Emmett said slowly, his tone cautious and guarded.

I quickly scanned the room for anything that could be throw or torn apart, which were quite a few items. My eyes focused on the television; it wouldn't be the first time that Edward split a TV set into two separate parts.

"Whose?" I asked instinctively, even though somewhere in my heart I already knew the answer.

"Victoria's," Jasper supplied, sighing. "It was everywhere, Edward. I didn't recognize it until we reached the meadow and everything clicked into place."

Edward turned into a tense block of stone, unmoving and ice cold. His jaw was clenched together and he blindly grasped for my hand, missing a few times before I finally slid my fingers around his and held tight.

"And?"

"Apparently, she's been waiting there ever since we left," Emmett cut in. "She hasn't given up hope that Bella might be by herself and vulnerable to attack."

"By now, she probably knows that Bella's been turned," Jasper said, his voice grave. "The scent trail led us to a small, run down hunting cottage not too far outside of Port Angeles. We suspect that she had made close to four or five newborns."

Edward pulled his hand away from mine and began to rise, but I grabbed his wrist. "Don't break anything else or we'll have to pay for it."

He rolled his eyes dramatically, his fists balling and sharp teeth grinding together. "That's all you have to say when the threat of newborns looms over us?"

"There's more," Emmett muttered uncertainly, his voice surprisingly feeble for such a big person.

Without waiting for Edward's response, Jasper plowed onward, "We waited outside for a short while and followed one of the newborns. We ended up killing him. But Edward…you're not going to like this…she's made a pact with them."

"With who?" I questioned before I could stop myself. It was like diaherra of the mouth; I couldn't help the words before they had come spilling off the tip of my tongue.

"The werewolves," Edward growled dangerously, taking deep deliberate breaths.

"Edward, don't-,"

But Jasper's warning was too late. Edward tore his arm out of my grasp and sent his clenched fist smashing through the wall, his knuckles colliding with a wooden beam, which splintered into a hundred pieces right before our eyes. The sound was ear shattering and I winced away from him, my hands instinctively flying over my ears. All vampires may have a heightened sense of sound, but since I was a newborn, my sense of sound was even more sensitive than theirs.

His chest was heaving, his nostrils flaring like mad. I had never seen him so incensed. Not even when James had nearly killed me in Phoenix. Not even when Jacob had nearly attacked me in our meadow. Not even when I had stormed out on him in Denali, leaving for three days and killing that human.

And then, he was suddenly heading toward the door, pulling it open violently. Before any of us could get a word out, he slammed the door as hard as he possibly could, the force of the slam shaking the glass in the windowpanes.

I sighed heavily and sank down onto the bed.

"Don't worry, Bella," Emmett said soothingly. "He'll-,"

"Come back," I nodded my head, scooting back against the headboard. "Yeah, I know. I just don't want him to do something stupid or brash."

My mind flashed back to what he had said earlier that day and I paled considerably, my stomach doing an odd sort of flip flop that made me feel like vomiting, even though I was well aware that I couldn't. Subconsciously, my hand fell over my stomach as I tried to get my spinning head under control. No, he wouldn't do that…would he?

"You don't think that…"

"That what, Bella?" Emmett urged.

My throat threatened to close up, but I wouldn't let it. I couldn't let it, for both mine and Edward's sake. "You don't think he would go back down to Forks himself…do you?"

The brothers exchanged a look, the briefest of glances, but that was enough to confirm that it was a total possibility.

A/N: I'm well aware that this chapter is EXTREMELY short, but it's sort of building up for the next chapter, which I promise will be longer than normal. Life's been catching up with me fast as of late, so I don't have as much time to write anymore. But I'm sure if you all left me some spiffy reviews, it would get the chapters out faster!


	10. Chapter Nine

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've had a lot on my plate as far as life is concerned, but don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this story. Though there is a steady stream of reviews coming in, I feel that you guys could do a lot better; I'm desperate from feedback of any kind. That being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know your opinion of it by leaving a review.**

Chapter Nine

Calming my nerves down seemed like an impossible feat to do on my own, so I glanced helplessly toward Jasper. He sent me a sympathetic look, his lips twitching slightly as a wave of calm rushed over my body and he repeated this procedure several more times. It helped, but my mind was still a frantic mess.

What if Edward had gone down to Forks? What if he was going to track down the werewolves and Victoria all by himself. I wouldn't have been so anxious if I hadn't known that Edward wasn't exactly the best tracker and he wasn't so outnumbered. I had witnessed him fight off other vampires, but I had also witnessed a pack of werewolves take out a vampire. What if the La Push pack disposed of Edward the same way they had disposed of Laurent?

I had half the mind to snatch up Emmett's car keys, which were laying haphazardously on the dresser upon which Jasper was still leaning, and head out the door. My eyes raked over them and I decided against it. I was fast, but I wasn't that fast. Or was I that strong. The thought of taking on someone with the brawn of Emmett made me ill.

"Bella," Jasper began, his tone careful and expression thoughtful. It was like he was treading on eggshells, afraid to say the wrong thing that might make me snap. It was unnerving feeling that I most certainly did not enjoy. "I don't think that he went to Forks."

"What makes you think that?" I asked, beside myself with concealed aggression. "If he could feed himself to the Volturi over something as simple as my death, imagine the lengths he would go to in order to insure my safety!"

They exchanged a look and Emmett's chest heaved with a sigh. "It just doesn't seem like something he would do." He licked his lips, looking as though he was at a loss for words. "I really don't know how to explain it," he chuckled lightly, the mirth not reaching his eyes. "Jazz? A little help?"

Jasper rolled his eyes for show, although I knew that both he and Emmett were wondering if there was any truth to my words. We all knew that Edward would go to the ends of the earth for me, something that was both an adorable quality as well as one that could be considered insane. But considering that I would do the same thing for him, maybe it wasn't so crazy after all.

"For as long as I've known Edward, which is a long time, let me assure you," his lips quirked into a slight smile, but just as swiftly as it came, the smile vanished, "and in that time, he's always been one of the most logical out of us all - second to only Carlisle. He doesn't like taking unnecessary risks if there is a more logical way to tackle the problem. While Emmett and, I'll admit, myself oftentimes enjoy the thrill of the fight, Edward has always preferred to deal with things peacefully."

He had pushed himself into a standing position now and had only just begun to start pacing at the foot of the bed; my eyes followed him as he walked. I have no idea what it was, but whenever Jasper spoke, I found myself mesmerized. I couldn't explain, but I suppose it had something to do with the ability the Cullens all possessed: the ability to dazzle people. Even me, a vampire.

"Then again," Jasper continued. "The last time your life was threatened, he was an absolute nightmare to be around. So overprotective, so on edge…but even then, he did what was most logical, what would turn out to be the most effective. I just - I just don't think he's capable of going to Forks because he knows you'll disprove of it. And even though he would gladly lay his life down for you, Bella," the way he said my name made me look into his face, made me lock gazes with him, "He's scared of losing you, even if it means sacrificing his life in order for you to survive."

An unwelcome shiver rolled down my spine, the chill breaking through the barrier of my skin and sinking into my bones, burrowing itself in the mass. Subconsciously, I felt my arms wrapped themselves around my body.

"I wouldn't be able to survive without him," I whispered under my breath, tearing my eyes away from Jasper's and focusing on the carpet. Even though our gazes were no longer locked, I knew he could feel the gut wrenching pain I was currently experiencing. The mere thought of Edward dieing so that I could survive was bone chilling, to say the very least.

"I know," he muttered back, shooting me another sympathetic smile.

Emmett was the first to move. He straightened his limbs and walked over to the bed, sitting down beside me. I wasn't entirely sure what he was doing until I felt his hand on the side of my head, gently easing my head down onto his shoulder. I moved stiffly, but obliged to what his large hand was instructing me to do. To say that I was shocked wouldn't even begin to cover it. This sort of reaction wasn't atypical of Jasper, as he had become my confidant of sorts over the past ten months, but to see Emmett react in such a way was…well, it was odd, but comfortingly so.

"He'll come back, Bella," Emmett said warmly, his voice reassuring; he sounded exactly like I had always imagined a brother would when trying to console his younger sister. "There's no need to worry." If there were ever a word to describe the type of brother Emmett was, it was big, both literally and figuratively. He would go to the moon and back for those he cared for. Just like any good brother would.

I hadn't even realized that Jasper had sat down next to me until I heard him chuckle. Both Emmett and I snapped our heads in his direction, sending him an accusing look.

"What?" I managed to ground out.

Jasper's chest was shaking with unleashed laughter, but I couldn't phantom what could be so funny to make Jasper, Mr. Concealed Emotions, laugh in such a way.

"Oh," he said once he managed to gain a shred of composure. "If only Rose were here; you'd never hear the end of it."

If it were at all possible, Emmett paled, looking absolutely terrified. And let me be the first to assure you, seeing someone like Emmett pale with fear, well, it was something of a comical sight.

I found myself unable to retain my laughter and a small giggle escaped my lips. Both pairs of fading ocher eyes flickered over to me, their expressions clearly that of shock. Talk about a severe mood swing. Though our laughter didn't reach a magnitude of anything above a small, collective chuckle, it was still nice that the icy tension that had settled over the room had finally broken.

X - X - X

An hour later, I found myself pushing a tree branch out of my way as I followed Emmett through the dense forest. It was a general consensus that we were all pretty hungry and decided to go on a group hunt. Why not kill the time we seemed to have so much of? However, I was convinced that there was another reason aside from hunger that Jasper had brought up the possibility of a quick hunting trip. I knew that he was hungry - hell, Jasper was almost always hungry, like me - but I was almost entirely positive that he was trying to get my mind off Edward. It was sweet of him to think that it was possible, but Edward was constantly on my mind, no matter what.

The ground was covered with slick leaves and patches of thick mud, making it nearly impossible to walk without slipping or getting the heel of your shoe suck in the mud. At least, it was somewhat difficult for me. Emmett seemed to be doing just fine, and I couldn't tell how Jasper was doing. He had broken off from our hunting party, for lack of a better word, to scout the area and make sure that nothing was following us. And by "nothing", of course he meant the werewolves and vampires.

I nearly fell for the umpteenth time since we had left the safety of the hotel room and, in front of me, I heard Emmett snicker.

"Shut it, Mr. Cuddly Pants, or I'll tell Rosalie about your sentimental moment," I threatened, rolling my eyes in annoyance as I stepped over a fallen tree limb and into a pile of sticky mud.

"Christ, Alice was right," Emmett said, shaking his head full of curly hair.

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "What do you mean 'Alice was right'? Did she see something?" My voice held more panic than I wanted to let on that I had.

"No," he said hurriedly.

"Then what was she right about?"

"The fact that Edward is rubbing off on you," he answered, the annoyance evident in his tone of voice.

I couldn't help but smile to myself, wondering if Edward really _was_ rubbing off on me. I did spend an abnormal amount of time with him; almost all of my time, in fact. Not that it was a bad thing, but one would think that it would take weeks, not a matter of two years.

I had been ready to retort when, suddenly, every animal instinct that I possessed snapped to attention. My body became rigid. Venom rushed into my mouth like a levy had broken. My fingers began to twitch like mad as the scent of the delicious, mouthwatering blood filtered through my nostrils and processed in my brain.

They weren't too far off, the pair of does. I could detect the faint scent of a young fawn besides its mother, tailing behind it stumblingly. Several drops of venom escaped my mouth and ran down my chin as I struggled to control the urge to pounce. The natural urge of attack. I suppressed it to the best of my ability and, as quietly as possible, I moved through the trees, trying to mask myself amongst the dense growth.

When I reached the halfway point, I let out a content growl of sorts before I had even realized what I was doing. One of the does picked up its head, swiveling it about the clearing, scanning for predators. Though deer were incredibly perceptive, they wouldn't detect my presence. Over the last ten months, I had picked up an extraordinary amount of hunting skills from both Edward and Jasper alike; their hunting techniques, however, were much different from one another's and I combined them into one.

The curious doe lowered her head, returning to her grazing. Suddenly, it seemed as though the tension in my body had disappeared. My spine snapped into a perfect arch, my body shifting into a low, feral crouch, one that looked as though it belonged to some fierce jungle cat. A surge of venom leaked into my mouth, practically drowning me with the bittersweet taste on the back of my tongue.

I couldn't attack yet. There was something that just didn't seem right. Both Jasper and Edward had taught me to wait until the opportune moment, where everything seemed to fall into place and the atmosphere had an air of absolution. There were times that I couldn't control myself nor the beast within and I would attack before I was ready, thus leading to losing a potential meal. I had managed to lean some sort of structured self control over the past months, especially in recent weeks.

It was the fawn, I decided. It was much too aware of what was going on. Its dark brown eyes drifted to where I was hidden in the trees and I knew then that it was now or never. Focusing all my weight on the balls of my toes, I propelled myself forward and into the small clearing in which the three deer were gathered. I broke the neck of the first before pouncing on the back of the second, gripping its throat and head in my hands. I jerked the neck until it right underneath my chin and lowered my head, sinking my teeth into the meaty flesh of the beast's neck.

It had all happened so fast that I didn't even realize I was feeding until the succulent blood flooded my mouth, the tangy sweetness mixed with the bitterness of the venom. As soon as I swallowed the first mouthful of blood, I pulled my head back and tore away at the hide of the deer, scattering bits of flesh and blood about the clearing. I dug into my meal, much like I always did, unconscious of the fact that I was making a filthy mess of myself.

Once I had drained the first doe, I swiveled on the heel of my foot and, after releasing a low, feral growl, sunk my razor sharp teeth into the flesh, ripping it away from the bone as I broke through the blood vessel. The blood of this doe was thicker and much colder, given the fact that I had killed it before drinking from it. But still, the blood was satisfying as it ran its course down my throat and settled into the empty hollow of my stomach, where it would slowly absorb into my bloodstream and remain there until I needed to hunt again.

I withdrew my teeth, licking the stray lines of blood leaking out of the corners of my mouth, wiping at the more difficult ones. Licking the blood off my fingers and making sure that none was left on my face, I slowly rose into a standing position, feeling stronger than I had felt in days. For now, the beast within was quiet, calm. I could only hope that it would last longer than normal.

I looked around the clearing and saw that the fawn was still close, hovering in a thicket of low hanging branches of pine trees. With a quirked brow, I slowly made my way over toward the fawn, realizing that I had just killed its mother and, in turn, determined the poor fawn's early grave. I could see the terror in the fawn's eyes as I edged closer and, when I got too close, it made a strange noise before taking off, heading deeper into the forest.

Despite the fact I had been hunting for months now, I still felt a small amount of remorse for the animals I killed. But it was as Edward always told me, it was better I killed animals opposed to humans. A horrible pang was sent through my stomach at the one thing he didn't know, the fact that I had already tasted the blood of a human.

Pushing my hair out of my face, I found myself wishing I had a ponytail holder as I made my way out of the forest. Jasper, Emmett, and I had agreed upon returning to the hotel, should we get separated, which was highly likely considering our various tastes in animals. I hadn't had the opportunity to hunt bears or mountainous cats, but out of all the animals I did have access to, deer were my favorite. Even if I did feel that pang of remorse each time I killed one.

I shoved branches out of my way and thankfully, I was able to avoid tripping over any stray branches or tree roots, only splattering mud on my blue jeans when I stepped into a deep mud hole. By the time I reached the hotel room, I was probably going to be dirtier than Tarzan.

I had almost reached the hem of the forest when Jasper and Emmett came running toward me. I stopped where I was and waited until they were by my side. They were both wearing very anxious looks.

"What is it?" I asked, unable to help myself, even though I knew they were going to tell me.

"Alice," Jasper answered. "She called."

I was beside myself with joy. It might not have been Edward, but it was just as good as. If Alice had called, that meant she knew something. And it must be good if they had hurried to find me…right?

"And?" I coaxed.

"Edward went back to Tofino," Emmett said.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God." I could literally feel myself getting lightheaded, could feel the world spinning, in my relief. I let out a small, but shaky laugh as I pulled both of my brothers into one armed hugs. However, they were stiff against my embrace. I let my arms fall to my side and pulled back immediately. "There's something else, isn't there?"

They both nodded.

"Carlisle couldn't get the Denali Clan to help us," Jasper stated, sounding -and looking- a little more than peeved. It was commonly known that, out of all the Cullens, it was Jasper who disliked the Denali Clan the most. Yet another reason why we got along so well.

"What about the werewolves?" I prompted. "Victoria? Any news about them?"

"No," said Jasper. "Nothing. From what we know, they haven't even bothered tracking our scent."

"But we won't know if they've found a trail until-,"

"Until they've found us," I finished for Emmett, pursing my lips. Even as I spoke, an unpleasant shiver shuddered through me and I clenched my teeth.

There was only one good thing about the situation and that was the fact Edward was in Tofino opposed to Forks. I would've had a complete mental breakdown if that had been the case before hijacking one of the Cullen cars and driving there myself.

Blinking, I said, "When are Rosalie, Alice, and Esme going to be here? Carlisle?"

"They should be here by tomorrow afternoon," Jasper replied. "Alice said that Edward will be coming with them, so there's no need to get all anxious and break that vase in the room. She already knows about the lamp and doesn't think it's necessary to tack on another expense." A smile pulled the corner of his lips into a half smile and for the first time since this whole…thing started, I felt a bit of hope.


	11. Chapter Ten

A/N: All right, so I'm totally prepared to take the rain of rotten tomatoes that you are all bound to throw at me. I know that I haven't updated in such a long time! I feel immensely guilty about it, but I do have reasons. Yes, I know I've written other small things for Twilight such as a Christmas themed Jasper/Alice one-shot and a poem. But those are just little things that didn't take me very long. Unfortunately, even though I really wanted to update "Bitemarks and Bloodstains", I couldn't. Why, you ask? Well, for one, I hardly had any time to spare what with my school work and having to watch my little brother after school every day. Life caught up with me and I couldn't keep pace with a story in tow. Secondly, I hit a writer's block. And it was a major one. Not just one of those little ones that goes away in a few days, but one that latches onto your mind and sucks all of your creativity out of you. Like a leech, almost. But never fear, I have banished that writer's block into the deepest pits of Hell and hopefully, it won't return.

That being said, I hope you all can enjoy this chapter and that it satisfies my lack of updates. I will try much harder to get chapters out to you sooner. They might not come every week or even every other week, but I promise it won't be another four months before I update this again. I've made sure of that. Anyway, review like you always do, my faithful readers, and you shall receive another chapter in return! Thank you so much for listening to my little rant! Enjoy!

- - - - - - - - - - -

Chapter Ten

"If you keep pacing like that," Jasper began, his voice dry. "You'll put a hole in the floor."

I stopped mid-stride, my gaze falling down to the floor. I hadn't even noticed that I had been pacing back and forth at the foot of the bed.

"Sorry," I muttered, fumbling with my hands as I sat down on the edge of the mattress. The springs creaked ominously beneath my weight and I cringed.

"There's no need to be sorry, Bella," said Jasper softly. "I know that you are anxious. Just as you should be," he added when I threw him a look. His golden eyes met my much darker gaze. "Would you like me to fix it?"

"Fix what?" I questioned.

"Your anxiety," he replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I suppose that it was pretty obvious. My mind was so out of the loop, though, that I doubted I would have been able to spot a huge, pink elephant in the room. I broke my gaze with Jasper and turned away, shaking my head softly.

"No," I said, my voice raw. "I can live through it."

"If you're sure," Jasper murmured, rising from his position at the window. My eyes snapped over to him and I watched as he took his coat off the hook near the door and slid his arms into the sleeves. I immediately tensed and sat up straighter, my eyes narrowed at him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I need a snack," he answered, flashing me a brief smile, his razor sharp teeth positively menacing.

My shoulder slumped; I'd thought he had seen the convoy of Cullen cars rolling into the lot. "Oh," I mumbled dejectedly. "Well, don't be too long. I'm sure they'll be here soon."

Another smile appeared on his face, though this one was much softer, much more Jasper like. This was my favourite smile of Jasper's, the one that reminded me just how kind he'd been to me over the last ten months.

I watched him as he meticulously wound a scarf around his neck to make it look like he, too, would be battling the cold like everyone else. I didn't ask why he was playing up his human side, or lack thereof, rather let him slip out of the room silently, the door clicking softly shut behind him.

A heavy sigh escaped me. My eyes drifted over to the clock on the bedside table. Immediately, I wished that I hadn't looked. It was only five thirty in the morning. Even driving at their ridiculous speeds, none of my family would be able to reach us before seven. And that was when Jasper had done the math, placing them at a speed of one hundred and twenty miles per hour.

God, it was going to take forever to pass the time. I was never one of those people who could find some way to entertain themselves to make the time pass faster. Sure, I was capable of distracting myself, but the only thing that was distracting for me anymore these days, aside from hunting, would require Edward to be here. That only reminded me of the fact that I had not been wrapped in his cool arms, his protective and incredibly loving embrace, in almost twenty four hours. For most, it wouldn't be that much of a deal. They could endure that period of time, but I couldn't. It was like a large chunk of my heart had been torn out of my chest, like half of my being had been stolen from me rather unnecessarily and concealed away. But thankfully, I wouldn't have to go and find it.

I sighed again, flopping backward onto the mattress. One of Emmett's shins was next to my head and I glared at it, like it had committed some sort of offence against me. Which it had, considering who it was attached to. Emmett was one of those profusely lucky people who could entertain himself with a video game for hours on end. I'm sure that he was so completely absorbed in his game that he wouldn't notice if I pinched him. And I pinched rather hard.

However, I didn't not to tempt fate and sink my talon-like nails into his porcelain skin; it was more than likely that we would end up wrestling and I would lose, just like always, my head pinned under his massive arm as he mussed up my hair.

I turned my eyes to the ceiling and began to count the little popcorn dots that decorated the uneven surface. It wasn't exactly the most exciting or thrilling activity that I would occupy myself with, but it was the first that came to mind. I would have turned on the television, but Lord only knows where the remote went after Emmett and I had battled over it last night. The last I'd seen of it, it had fallen behind the dresser. At that period of time, neither of us cared anymore and a few minutes later, we couldn't even recall what we had been arguing about, anyway.

A small smile graced my lips as I thought of the rest of my family, the ones who would be joining us soon. I couldn't wait to see their abnormally beautiful faces and greet them with exuberance hugs. I hoped that they'd missed me as much as I had missed them. I could almost picture how each one of them would greet me. But as much as I wanted to see Rosalie, Alice, Esme and Carlisle, there was one that mattered above all the rest. And currently, he was the one I was trying to get out of my head.

I'd never realized how much he occupied my thoughts until he was gone. The same thing had come to my attention when he'd left me, thinking that I would be safer without a coven of vampires in my life. My head was shaking back and forth before I could stop it. He could be so silly, especially when it came to the matter of my safety. It didn't matter any longer now. I was just as strong as him, if not a little bit stronger. He'd always told me that newborns were insatiably strong in their first year of eternal life.

With a small frown, I realized that my first year as a vampire was nearly up. Soon, my eyes would be completely ochre and I would be officially be one of the Cullens. I wouldn't be some impostor who was trying to adapt to their lifestyle. Oh no, I would be living it. And I wouldn't allow myself to slip up, to make a silly mistake. I would control my lust for blood, no matter how hard it got. If I had to tear myself away from all humanity for an immeasurable amount of time, then I would do it. It was no question that my angel, my glorious Edward would be by my side all along the way. He'd promised me such a few days after I'd been changed and our lives were flipped upside down.

I rolled over onto my stomach and propped my head up on my arms. Emmett's massive expanse of a back was facing me; he'd apparently moved into a sitting position and was now hunched over his handle-held gaming device. Something called a PSP that he was completely addicted to. It annoyed the hell out of Rosalie, when she was trying to talk to him, but he was too absorbed in his game. It was times like those that Emmett reminded me of a little boy, one who was so easily distracted as well as entertained by something as simple as a video game. God, I envied him so much right now.

I was tempted to take the PSP out of his hands and make him talk to me, but Emmett wasn't exactly one of the best conversationalists. Sure, he was good for a laugh and a very intelligent being, that much was almost too true for my liking, but he didn't seem to feel comfortable with discussing much of anything, to be truthful. Not unless he was conversing with Rosalie.

A huff of a breath escaped me as I flipped over onto my side and rolled into a sitting position that mirrored Emmett's. My stomach gave a small growl. It was complaining; I wanted a snack. Man, I knew I should've grabbed my coat and left with Jasper! We could've killed two birds with one stone, quite literally, if we really wanted to amuse ourselves.

I rose to my feet, stretching out the tension in my limbs. My shoes were near the door and I slipped my feet into them, not bothering to lace them up. I would do that once I got outside. All I knew was that my skin was crawling. Even if I wasn't that hungry, I didn't necessarily have to hunt when I left the comforts of the hotel room. I could just go for a walk. It probably wasn't the smartest idea, but I needed to get out of this damn room! I would go mad if I didn't.

Emmett seemed to notice that I was fluttering about the room, tugging an extra sweater shirt over my head to give the illusion that I would be effected by the crisp air of the outdoors. He furrowed his brow in confusion as he watched me.

"Are they back?" he asked, his excitement barely concealed.

I shook my head. "No," I said, a remorseful smile on my face. "They're not."

His face fell visibly and I imagined that my facial expression didn't look all that much different from his. "Oh," he murmured, dejected. "That's okay. Just let me know when they are, all right?"

I nodded and gave him a salute. "I sure will."

Emmett returned to his game, looking like a small, confused child with his golden eyes wide. I felt the need to give him a hug, but refrained. He'd probably think that I was either crazy with emotions or that I was trying to start something. As much fun as it was beating Emmett seven out of the ten times we wrestled, I highly doubted the hotel owner would appreciate it if we did some of our very own renovations.

I donned my coat, a simple black number that Edward had purchased for me. I rarely wore it, but was still surprised that it smelt faintly like him. Bringing the lapel to my nose, I inhaled deeply, my head spinning as the scent spiralled through my nostrils and consumed my brain.

He needed to get back soon.

I untied my hair from the ponytail I had pulled it back into and ran my fingers through in an attempt to tame the locks. I was mildly successful and when I looked at myself in the mirror, I saw that my eyes were glowing a bright red-orange, caught in the middle like a burning flame almost to the point of swelling, but diminishing. If that made any sense at all. Tucking a strand of my silky brown hair behind my ear, I wetted my tongue with venom and wiped the crusted blood from the sides of my lips. I would need a shower and sometime soon; I felt dirty from my hunt.

I unlocked the door and pulled it open, twisting around to look over my shoulder at Emmett. "I'll be back in a few minutes," I said. At his questioning look, I added, "I just want to get some fresh air."

Emmett nodded. "Okay. Just don't get into too much trouble, if you can manage that."

I smiled at him, hoping that my joy at his remark reached my eyes. Even though he might not have been aware of it, I was always grateful for Emmett's presence. There was something about the air of exuberance that seemed to follow him around that was pleasant. And there was the fact that he was a natural comic. I'm sure that in his human life, he was a very entertaining young man that all the ladies loved.

With that thought in mind, I stepped out of the hotel room. The air was cool, I would freely admit that, but it felt nice against my skin. This air was unpolluted and tingling in my nose as I inhaled, my chest swelling outward. I held my breath as I walked across the parking lot, hurrying past the front office. If I couldn't smell the teenage girl inside, then I wouldn't be tempted to draw her blood. That is what I told myself, anyway.

To present a believable human display, I tucked my hands in the pockets of my black pea coat. The temperature difference was minuet, but welcomed nonetheless. I never realized how much I'd taken the slight change in temperature for granted. Now, I always felt it and warmth was most welcome. If I had my way, however, I would forever be encased in the stone arms of my beloved.

Edward.

My lower stomach gave a lurch at the sound of his name in my head. I wanted to see him. I knew exactly how I would greet him, too. I would run at him, full speed, not caring what humans were watching, and throw my arms around him. My lips would meet his in the most passionate of kisses. It would be so expressive, so meaningful that Edward would never leave my side again. Not even if I was in the worst sort of danger.

I had to do that. Not only for myself, but for him as well. He couldn't put his life in danger like that. No matter how important he thought I was to him, he always seemed to forget that he meant just as much, if not more to me.

Oh, how I longed to be in his arms!

I sighed again, inwardly rolling my eyes at my overdramatic thoughts, and turned the corner. I was walking along the backside of the hotel now, the side I hadn't seen before. There wasn't much back here. Tall pines littered the surrounding area and gave off a mouth-watering aroma. It might not have been as good as blood, but it was a pleasant smell nonetheless. There was one car in the lot. It was a plain car. A beige, four door sedan with Oregon plates. Nothing out of the ordinary at all. I bent my head against the wind and hurried down the stretch near the office.

Inside the window, I could see that it wasn't a teenage girl inside, but an older man. He looked to be middle aged and had glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose. By the looks of it, he was doing the bookkeeping. It didn't look like a very exciting task and I picked up my speed. However, the man seemed to notice the white blur that passed by the window front of his office and as I walked toward our room, I heard the tinkering of the bell above the door.

"Miss?" he called out.

_No. Please don't come any closer_, I thought, clenching my mouth shut tightly.

I cringed and flinched when I heard his footsteps slapping against the pavement. He was following me. Following danger like an idiot. The wind was behind me and therefore, swept his scent in my direction. Venom flooded my mouth and I felt my mind go blank.

Oh no. Not this again. It'd happened like this before, when it had been Jasper and I on one of our hunting trips. We hadn't intended on a human crossing our paths and before Jasper could stop me, I already had my mouth clamped tightly around the woman's throat and had violently ripped out her vocal box before she could scream.

I closed my eyes against the memory and willed the monster away. I tried to keep it at bay, but I knew that it was a fruitless attempt.

"Miss, do you need something?" the man persisted, picking up his pace as I hurried down the path to the room. It was only a few feet away now.

Another gust of wind. Another gust of a delicious scent. I could feel the beast roaring in my chest, telling me - no, _commanding _to take this man's life. What was he, but just another insignificant human? No one would miss him if I tore out his jugular. In fact, I doubted that they would even notice.

"Is there something wrong with your accommodations?"

No. No, no, no, no, _no!_

I wouldn't do this again! I swore to myself that I wouldn't take another life!

But. . .he smelt so delicious.

In a snap decision, I paused in my walking and whirled around. The rush of venom into my mouth had caused an overflow and some of the clear, thick liquid spilled out of my mouth. The man's eyes widened. I'm sure that I looked quite threatening, with my smouldering red-orange eyes and razor teeth bared.

I stalked toward him. I was the predator. He was my prey. I opened my mouth a little bit more as another breeze swept. The scent of his blood washed over me, calming me. I could do this. I would do this. He was rightfully mine. And I was hungry. I hadn't had a proper meal in nearly six months now. It was high time to change that.

He took a step backward. I cocked my head to the side and said in a low, husky voice, "There's no need to be afraid."

Venom was still leaking out of my mouth, but the man didn't seem to notice. He was now frozen in his place, his eyes wide with terror. That was the only sign of his fear. The rest of his face had slid into a mask of pure peace. His mouth was slightly hanging open, like he wasn't sure if he had just heard my voice or not.

The best roared happily. Yes, it would finally get its dinner and I would finally be satisfied instead of living in agony. I slinked toward him, my movements cat like and graceful. I was feet from him.

I was ready to strike when two strong arms wrapped around my mid-section. I shrieked in anger, the monster's voice erupting from me.

"He's mine! I want him!" I screamed, my voice inhuman and frightening as I struggled blindly.

"Bella," Jasper murmured. A wave of calm swept over me.

I twisted around in Emmett's strong arms and growled ferociously at him. "Stop it! He's mine! His blood is mine! I need him!" I snapped my razor-sharp teeth to prove my point.

Another wave of calm hit, only this one was much more forceful. I felt my body slacken in Emmett's big arms; I slumped slightly against his chest. The creature within was still bellowing fiercely, crying out at its lost meal.

Even though the calm had sunk in, I still fought against Emmett's hold. I tried to sink my teeth in his arm, but he gave my body a sudden jerk that jolted my entire teeth, that caused my mouth to snap shut.

"Bella," Emmett said into my ear. "Please."

I could tell that his hold was slipping. If I could just twist. . .

But before I could carry out my well thought out plan, Emmett walked into the room and Jasper shut the door behind him. The sound of the lock sliding into place was just a little bit ominous. The sound also seemed to send my mind into a furious frenzy and I scrambled around in Emmett's arms. His grasp remained firm, his arms locked around my waist; it was impossible for me to escape.

"Let me _go_," I growled at Emmett, thrashing.

"You need to calm down, Bella," Jasper said quietly from his spot at the window.

Yet another wave of calm was propelled my way. This rush was the strongest yet. The tense coils of my muscles started to relax. Logical thought returned to me. I inhaled deeply through my nose and was relieved to discovery that the human's scent no longer burned in my nasal cavity.

Still, I was hungry. The monster holed up in my chest was rearing its head in anger, busting against my chest in vain attempts to burst out and get what it wanted. But now that I had logical thought on my side once more, I was able to push it away. I could keep it at bay for as long as necessary. And I refused to lose it now, when Edward so close to me.

It was a huge mistake to have gone outside alone. How could I have been so stupid? So blind? I knew that there were humans around and that I would run the risk of encountering them. Hadn't that been the entire reason for my donning of a coat? I had not so subconsciously acknowledged the risk I was taking. God, if Edward had been there, none of this would've happened.

I cursed under my breath immediately. I couldn't blame this on Edward. I felt Emmett slacken his iron grip on me. The ground was steady beneath my feet and I hurried to sit down on the edge of the bed. Bowing my head, I pushed my hands through my hair and took several deep breaths. The fresh oxygen was burning away any traces of the monster, scorching it from the inside out. It was a most welcome feeling, but it reminded me once more of the beast I struggled to control, the very creature that Edward had warned me about, the one that he'd told me would overcome my senses.

And to think I thought I was better than that. That I had the same amount of self control that the rest of my family did. The thought alone was preposterous and I was very arrogant from thinking such.

"You're wrong," murmured Jasper.

I tilted my head upward so that I was able to see my blonde brother. He and Emmett were standing close together and, judging by the somewhat guilty look in Emmett's dark gold eyes, they had been talking about me while I sat, wallowing in my own self pity.

"About what? That I was arrogant to think I had enough self control?"

"Yes," he replied. Jasper sat down beside me on the bed. Emmett moved over toward the window.

I snorted in derisive laughter. "I think you're the one who is wrong. I _was_ arrogant to think that I was experienced enough around humans to be able to resist the lure." I shook my head, a small chuckle escaping me. "I'm a fool, aren't I?"

"You're not a fool, Bella," Jasper said quickly. "You're trying your absolute hardest to adapt to our lifestyle, which is more than I can say for myself when I first joined the family. You know my story, you know about the life I led. When Alice and I joined Carlisle, I didn't want to adapt. I wanted to stick to the diet I had been raised on. I resisted until I could no longer handle the look in Alice's eyes. But you," he smiled softly at me. "You are trying so hard, and it's all for Edward. He knows how much you struggle to control the monster inside, but never does he doubt your dedication."

I could feel the familiar tingle building at the backs of my eyes. Tears that would never be split due to the venom that coursed through my veins. I returned the soft smile and leaned forward. As if he had read my mind, Jasper's arms came around me in a brotherly embrace. I hugged him fiercely, drawing from him the waves of courage and strength that I need to recover from my episode.

"Thank you," I whispered into his ear. I gave him a tight squeeze.

"All in a day's work," he joked as he pulled back from my embrace. His hand found the top of my head and he stroked from the roots of my hair to the very end, a fond smile on his face.

I smiled at him, gave him another short hug, and looked down at the ring on my finger. It glinted in the light streaming in from the open curtains. I sighed softly. A feeling of doubt began to knot in my stomach, but before it could consume me, an easy feeling swept over me. I glanced at Jasper and he was wearing a guilty grin.

"Bella," Emmett said suddenly, a few minutes later, a note of excitement in his voice.

"What?" I asked, curious.

"You still upset?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "A little. Why?"

"Because I think there's something that might cheer you up," he replied, grinning from ear to ear.

My sudden excitement combined with Emmett's must've been too much for Jasper to handle. A wide grin appeared on his face and he was on his feet in the blink of an eye. The motion was so fast that even I had a hard time detecting it. My eyes flew to his hands and they were shaking like mad.

I jumped to my feet, a wave of raw joy washing over me. I could hardly speak, but Emmett didn't seem it was necessary to wait until I responded.

"They're back."


	12. Chapter Eleven

A/N: Oh boy, here we are again. Four months after my last update. I'm sure you're all ready to kill me, if you're still reading this story. I can't say that I have an adequate excuse for my failure to post updates side from another monstrous writer's block. I don't know why this is becoming harder and harder for me to write, but hopefully with the approach of 'Breaking Dawn', updates will be on their way on a much more regular basis - meaning you won't have to wait a ridiculous amount of time for a new one to be posted. I hope you enjoy the chapter, however prolonged its coming was!

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Chapter Eleven

It didn't take long for me to react to Emmett's words. As soon as they left his lips, I launched myself at Jasper, enveloping him in a tight embrace before pushing away and hugging Emmett in the same fashion. Unlike Jasper, who hadn't had a chance to react to my hug, Emmett nearly squeezed me to death until he released me. My hand reached the silver doorknob before his did. I wrenched it open, nearly ripping the wooden door off its hinges.

I didn't waste a moment running full tilt into the parking lot, despite what had just occurred with the human. My hunger was completely forgotten.

Well, not _totally_ forgotten: my desire to be in Edward's arms rekindled with a blinding heat as soon as I stepped outdoors. I smelt his delicious, enticing scent before I saw his seraphic features. If I were ignorant to Edward's true age, I would have sworn that his face was Michelangelo's inspiration for the Sistine Chapel.

The Volvo was parked on the opposite side of the parking lot, right next to the brilliant red Jeep. It took only moments for him to smoothly glide out of the car and set his feet on the pavement. A jolt of electricity not unlike the one we experienced in Mr. Banner's classroom ignited in my body at the sight of him. Desire and love flooded through my being, a heady mixture at best. When our eyes met across the parking lot, my heart all but melted in my chest and my knees became gooey.

Somehow, I managed to run toward him; we met in the middle of the lot. His arms were around me and lifting me up off the ground. His hand slipped behind my head, resting on the curve of my neck and our lips met. The kiss was gentle at first, but like all of our kisses, ignited as soon as our bodies melded against one another. His lips tasted incredibly sweet against mine as I contoured the line of my body to match his. My hands found their way into his auburn hair and my fingers tangled in his locks.

Finally, but with a note of reluctance, Edward pried his lips away from mine; he set me back on the ground, though I was hesitant to leave his comforting hold. His forehead came to rest against mine, his breath cold against my wet mouth.

Our chests brushed against one another's as we breathed in unison.

Reaching up, I tucked a loose strand of bronze hair behind his ear, fondly tracing the shell of his ear once I had completed my task. "Hi," I managed to mutter softly.

His hand slid around from the back of my neck until it was resting against my collarbone; his fingers burned a trail on my skin as he slowly followed the curve of my neck until he was cupping my cheek in his palm. He raised his other hand and settled it against the opposite side of my face so that he was holding my head in his hands. The hold was gentle, loving. His fingers stroked the planes of my face as he continued to stare at me, his eyes a bottomless, but beautiful pool of the darkest amber.

A slow, smouldering grin spread across his lips. "Hello," he breathed, closing the gap between our mouths and kissing me once more. It was a short kiss, almost a peck, like the kisses we used to share before I was Changed.

I dragged a hand through his floppy locks, making sure to rake my nails against his scalp gently, just as he liked me to. His eyes fluttered shut briefly and he made a noise of contentment in the back of his throat.

"I missed you," I said as my fingers found the stray tendrils of hair at the back of his neck. I played with them idly as I waited for his response.

"Likewise," he replied smoothly, removing his left hand from my face to grab my limb that hung limp at my side. He raised my left hand to his lips and placed a kiss on the back, then kissed each of my individual fingers before turning my hand over and pressing the lightest kiss into my palm. I shivered and another smile lit up his face. "It's hard, not seeing your face everyday."

It was my turn to smile. "You know what they say, don't you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Enlighten me."

I was almost entirely certain that he already knew what I was going to say, given the fact it was a commonly used phrased. Almost _too_ commonly used. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," I finished, pushing up on my tiptoes to kiss the tip of his nose.

Edward laughed softly, a magical sound to my ears that made a pleasant chill roll down my spine and nestle somewhere very private. "I couldn't agree more."

He pulled my close to his frame again, nearly every inch of our bodies in contact. His stomach was oddly warm against mine; though I was sure it was just my imagination. I wanted to take his coat off his form and hitch up that ridiculous sweater he was wearing under it; I wanted to run my hands over his bare skin rake my nails of his flesh and watch him shiver in the same way he made me quiver.

Frustrated that I couldn't have my way with him right there, I settled of pressing my lips against his once more. The kiss quickly turned urgent and I found myself being backed up. It wasn't until the cool metal of the door handle brushed against my lower back that I realised we were so close to the Volvo. This meant that we were far enough away from the prying eyes of his family to do what we so wished.

I placed a hand against his chest for leverage and it was slowly making its way toward the buckle of his belt when he suddenly jerked away from me, tearing his lips from mine and making me feel as cold as the weather outside.

When he grabbed my wrist, I looked up at him, miffed.

"We can't do _that_ now!" he protested, albeit weakly.

I frowned, a line forming between my brows. "And why not?"

"You're not serious, are you?" When he saw that I wasn't wavering in my look, his eyes grew wide for a second before an easy grin replaced the incredulity. "Right here in front of our family?"

I smirked in return. So, he was going to play along, was he? It was a rare for Edward to play along so willing in my game; he usually tried to ignore it for as long as possible for caving in and going with the flow.

"Yep," I replied. "Right here. Against the car."

"And what would we do about Jasper, eh?" His eyebrow twitched slightly as it raised itself a little further on the smooth plane of his forehead. "Or Alice?"

Chuckling softly, I grabbed him by the lapel of his coat and pulled him toward me so that our fronts were touching. Ah, much better. "I'm sure we could find a way around them."

"With their gifts? I don't think so, love."

"I thought you were supposed to be the evil genius here."

"I suppose I'll just have to be your co-conspirator," he said.

"Is that so?"

Our mouths brushed as he spoke his next words. "Yeah. Moreover, once we are caught, I'll just tell them you brainwashed me into doing it. It's not like they wouldn't believe me. What with this convincing face."

A loud laugh rumbled deep in my chest and was emitted through my throat before I could stop it; it effectively drew the attention of our family, much to my own dismay. Our game was spoiled, but it had been fun while it lasted. With a resolute sigh, I ducked under Edward's arm, my hand finding his and holing it tightly. His long fingers slide through mine as we reluctantly made our way back toward the hotel room.

As soon as I was within distance of my family, Alice launched herself at me, much like I had at both of my brothers. I released my grip on Edward's hand so I could return her eager embrace; she was incredibly small and frail in my arms, but I knew that she was much stronger than I could ever hope of being, both mentally and physically.

"I'm so glad you're all right," she said as she withdrew, her arms slowly sliding away from me.

At this remark, I furrowed my eyebrows. Why did she sound so relieved? Shouldn't she have known that I - that we - were perfectly all right here in Kamloops? An icy feeling rushed down my back and I tried my hardest to remain composed, to swallow my questions until it was time for the discussion in which we would tell each group what'd happened in their absence. I wasn't thrilled about that.

Esme, who held me close to her, swept me into a warm, loving hug. She stroked my hair in a comforting manner, muttering that she was so very glad to see me and don't ever stay away from Edward for that long, for he was absolutely miserable to be around. I found myself smiling at her, even though it was his decision to leave, not mine.

Carlisle didn't embrace me, but he smiled in such a warm way, I felt my toes curl in my shoes. It was very much appreciated and, I found, that I needed it. There was something about the way his golden eyes stared at me that made me believe he already knew what had transpired earlier in the day, about my encounter with the human. The thought made me both nervous and anxious to get everything out on the table. So much so, I began to fidget with my hands until Edward took one in his grasp, squeezing tightly. Though the feelings didn't leave, they certainly lessened.

"Why don't we go inside," suggested Carlisle after several more moments. "We probably look a little conspicuous standing out here in the lot."

There was a murmur of general agreement and Edward led me into the room. The room appeared to be even smaller than before with everyone crowded inside. I scanned the faces of my family, but immediately noticed that absence of Rosalie and Emmett. It didn't take a rocket scientist to venture where they'd gotten off to. Secretly, I wished that Edward and I would've stolen away when we had the chance.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and Edward quickly followed, sitting so close to me, our thighs continued to brush against each other's. I tried my hardest not to focus on even the briefest touch, but even then, it was extremely difficult. My eyes followed the quick movements of the rest of my family as they all made themselves as comfortable as possible in the cramped quarters.

Once everyone was settled, there was a prolonged silence. It didn't take me long to figure out that Edward was holding a silent conversation with Jasper and, judging by the emotions that sparked to life on his painfully perfect features, he had found out about the would-be attack. Great. I wanted to tell him about it myself instead of having to relay the information second hand. However, things just didn't work that way in the Cullen household. I resisted the urge to repeat Rosalie's favourite line: "Isn't there any privacy in this house?"

Just as Edward's finger began to idly circle the golden band that surrounded my ring finger, Carlisle cleared his throat, though it obviously wasn't necessary. Edward broke his eyes away from Jasper's face. An expression of relief floated over Jasper's pale face, but was quickly replaced by the stoic mask that was usually in place. However, I wasn't the only one who noticed that the tension, however small it was, seemed to dissipate in the room as soon as Jasper found relief from Edward's intense scrutiny.

Though Carlisle was addressing the room at large, his eyes trained themselves on me and I found that I was a little uncomfortable under his intense gaze. "You have probably been informed of the meeting I held with Tanya," he began, his voice calm and soothing as always. "And while I would like to say that it went in our favour-,"

Something heavy settled in the pit of my stomach as I finished for them, "It didn't."

Carlisle opened his mouth to speak, but closed it suddenly and settled on shaking his head.

From his position by the window, Jasper spoke up. "I don't understand, Carlisle. I would've thought that Tanya and the rest of the Denali clan would've jumped at the chance to fight the werewolves." His brow puckered as he continued, "I mean, wasn't Kate rather found of that one vampire that the pack killed?"

My ears perked up suddenly. "Laurent," I supplied.

Jasper nodded in thanks. "Yes, Laurent. I thought she would've been more upset over his death at their hands. Upset enough to join us in our fight against them."

I held back the cringe that threatened to escape the holds of my body. Though I was not happy with the behaviour the Lapush pack was expressing, I knew that they had their reasons. The treaty had been broken and it was their right to attack the Cullens. I just thought that Jake would've attempted to put a stop to it. I thought that's what friends did for one another.

I didn't want to fight Jake and the rest of the Lapush pack. I didn't want any of my family members to fight them, either. There was a chance that people I loved on both sides of the line had a chance of getting hurt. Or perhaps even more. I didn't want to dwell on that particular thought, the edges of my heart having begun to ache once again.

I hated this. I absolutely positively hated it.

Carlisle sighed softly. "It would seem that it would give them the inspiration to help us," he said, his voice strained with emotion. It was obvious that Carlisle was disappointed that the Denali clan didn't offer us their assistance; I would have thought they would've, too, from the singular time I had met them. "But Tanya clearly stated that she didn't want anything to do with this mess." Esme's delicate hands rested on his shoulders and she began to massage the muscles under her strong hands. He seemed to relax a bit under the pressure her hands provided.

Another pregnant silence filled the room as we each contemplated over what their reject meant for us. The odds had obviously been stacked against us since square one. The werewolves had Victoria on her side along with her small coven of newborns that she had created in order to get revenge. It wasn't looking good from the start, but now that we didn't have the Denali clan, whom else could we turn to?

Would we be able to seek help elsewhere? Would we need help at all? Or would we stand against the werewolves, Victoria and her coven of newborns when the time came?

There were so many questions swirling around in my head that I could hardly think straight. Placing a hand on the side of my temple, I massaged it gently, hoping to ease the stress that was beginning to build in my mind. A soft wave of relief floated in my direction and bathed over my skin; I glanced at Jasper and he winked half-heartedly at me. It was apparent that our thoughts were very similar.

Suddenly, the oddly silent Alice spoke. She disentangled her lean limbs from Jasper's arms so that she could move about the room, pacing as she talked.

"It doesn't make sense," she murmured, more to herself than anyone else. "They were supposed to agree." She turned her ocher eyes to Carlisle and added, almost beseechingly, "I saw it, Carlisle. I saw Tanya saying yes."

"Oh, Alice," Esme said. "You of all people know that the future isn't set into stone. How many times have you predicted something horrific, yet we've gained something wonderful." She threw a fond look in my direction and smiled a very warm, maternal grin.

Jasper came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her slim waist. His chin came to rest on her small, rounded shoulder and he spoke softly to her, though we could all hear him clearly. "I'm sure once Carlisle told her the odds, she decided against it."

Carlisle nodded his head in agreement. "He's right, Alice." He smoothed a hand over his hair in an almost nervous gesture. "When I told her it was just the werewolves, she was ready to agree, but when I threw in the information about Victoria and her newborns, she turned me down."

Her frail form sagged in defeat. "I gave you a flicker of false hope, Carlisle." Her voice was oddly weak, not like Alice at all.

"It's all right, Alice," he assured her in his most soothing, convincing voice. "Things don't always go the way we plan, yet we Cullens make it out on top. Don't we?" He looked at each of us in turn, but his eyes lingered the longest on Edward. His brow creased slightly as he sent his son a thought. The look on Edward's face froze into place. However, just as quickly as the expression appeared, it faded and Edward was pulling me dangerously close to him, planting a kiss in the hollow behind my ear.

Jasper opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment, the door to our room opened and a very dishevelled Rosalie and a considerably happy Emmett came stumbling into the room. Emmett was wearing a grin as wide as the Atlantic Ocean as the entire family, myself included, stared at the pair. I felt my eyebrows rising when Rosalie quickly shoved was looked suspiciously like a bra into the huge designer bag that hung off her arm.

"Sorry we're late," Emmett began. "We were just-,"

"A little preoccupied?" Edward finished for him, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "I would've been shocked, had Alice not told me to expect you guys too late. However, I'm going to have to ask you again to please refrain from broadcasting your thoughts so vocally."

"I second that," Jasper said gruffly.

Rosalie rolled her eyes at her husband and her brothers before slinking into the room in the most graceful way possible. She found a seat on the edge of the dresser and boosted herself up on the lip of it, her long legs hanging off the bureau. Her toes even skimmed the carpet. Emmett stood beside her and she turned her eyes, which were considerably darker than usual, toward us.

"What'd we miss?" she asked.

Carlisle spent the next few minutes explaining to the still flustered couple what had happened while he was in Denali. He gave a more detailed accountant that I was expecting, though I supposed that Edward was going to tell me later, once everything was out on the table.

Once he was finished, a look of rage flickered across Emmett's face.

"You can't be serious? After all of the times we've helped them, they're simply not going to help us?" he shouted loudly. Emmett looked as though he wanted to overturn every piece of the furniture in the room, whether someone was sitting on it or not. Rosalie placed a hand on his arm and his hand curled into a thick fist; I could hear his knuckles cracking as he performed the action.

His nostrils flared as he struggled to reign in his temper. It wasn't until Edward was loosening my fingers from around his palm that I realised I had been clutching his hand so tightly. I was scared. Honest to goodness scared of the absurd amount of strength that Emmett possessed and the temper flaring to life that I had never seen before. He had yelled after the CNN stint, but it was nothing like this. Then, I had felt protected. Now, I was frightened.

Emmett was still breathing deeply through his nose when his beautiful wife spoke, "If they're not going to help us, then we don't stand a chance against the wolves and Victoria."

She had voiced everyone's doubt. No one said a single word and she scoffed.

"Oh, come on, you know I'm right." Rosalie's narrowed gaze landed on Edward. "You of all people know that I'm right, Edward. We're strong, but we're not that strong. We need more help!"

Edward, who had been quiet and still the entire time, suddenly sprang into action. "What do you suppose we do, Rose? We don't know anyone else that can help us. Jasper's already asked for the assistance of some of his former companions, but they declined, saying it was much too dangerous. Carlisle could ask for the help of some rogue vampires, but we all know how perilous they can be; it would probably be worse for everyone involved if we enlisted the help of rogue vampires. And if you think for some minute that we're going to-,"

"Edward," Esme cut in gently, catching the appalled look on Rosalie's face. The beautiful blonde was curling and uncurling her fists, much like her brawny husband had been doing moments ago. If it were at all possible, I'm sure her face would've been coloured a brilliant shade of scarlet; her entire body was shaking with suppressed rage. Rosalie never did like being attacked, but then who did?

Edward looked ready to plough onward, but I tugged his hand and forced him to look at me. "Don't, Edward," I said quietly. "Please."

Something flickered in his eyes, but he nodded his head softly and sank back down on the bed beside me. His arm enveloped my waist and I leaned against him.

Another silence seeped into the room, filling in the dark spaces in the corners and working its way toward the heart of the space. I tried to ignore it, to all the threatening thoughts that loomed in my mind to the back of my conscience, where they wouldn't and couldn't bother me until I called them forth. I clung to Edward's hand like a lifeline. The sudden urge to weep past over me as I realised just how happy I was to have him back at my side. My bottom lip began to tremble and I quickly took it between my teeth, gnawing on it so that it would escape the notice of my family.

I found my gaze travelling from face to exquisite face. Carlisle and Esme were calm, though not entirely collected. They, too, had obviously been riled by the words Edward had spoke because they were the blatant truth. Alice and Jasper were embracing one another, though they were both gazing in opposite directions, lost in their own thoughts about what would happen to us. If anything would happen to us at all. Rosalie was still fuming, her dark amber eyes narrowed at the back of Edward's bowed head. Emmett was, like his wife, still trying to regain control of his temper. His large hands were currently clenched tightly into balled fists.

What would I do without them, my family? They loved me so much and I loved them; it almost hurt too much to describe what I would do, should anything happen to them. I know they would tell me that it wasn't my fault, but it really was. If I hadn't argued with Charlie in the car and distracted him from the road, he wouldn't have hit the deer. The car wouldn't have flipped over and he was still be alive. I would still be human and friends with Jake, no matter how hard it was to keep up with him while I was with Edward. Our lives wouldn't be in danger like they had been ever since I joined the family.

But I know if I even so much as uttered a single sentence of my thoughts, they would've attacked me with reassurances. Edward would have told me that none of it was my fault, but his. Regardless of the fact, he'd saved me opposed to damn me like he believed he did. It would be like any other time we found ourselves in a rut. However, this time, the danger was real. Not that it hadn't been before, but now, it was even more of a threat than ever. The werewolves had a teammate now; they had a vindictive vampiress by the name of Victoria and her merry band of newborns. The odds had been somewhat even then, but now, we were in over our heads.

A soft sigh fluttered past my lips as I struggled to come up with a solution. This was my doing, my fault, so it had to be me who came up with the answer to our problem. But what could we do? We'd contacted all of our allies, but none of them answered our call. What else was there to do aside from battle the werewolves and Victoria's vampires? Like Esme had said, the future wasn't set into stone and who's to say that we would lose anyway? However, if we did face the wolves, the odds of all of us surviving were slim.

I shuddered just thinking about it.

The only problem, aside from the obvious one, was that Alice couldn't see the future when the pack was involved. And it looked like they would be involved in our future for the rest of our lives. A pang ran through my chest as I thought, _this is my entire fault_. I had to do something about it; I couldn't just sit here like a useless piece of waste! That wasn't a very vampire thing to do; if I was in the Volturi, I would never-.

A loud gasp escaped me as I subconsciously sprang to my feet.

Every eye in the room was turned to me, brightly burning with curiosity. Edward was quick to rise to his feet beside me, taking my hands in his.

"What? What is it?" he asked, searching my face earnestly.

I stared at Edward. Stared into his angelic features as I swallowed the lump in my throat. "There is _one_ place we can go."

We continued to gaze into each other's eyes, stepping closer to each other until we were touching like we had been in the parking lot. There was nothing sexual about this contact, though. I needed him to speak the words for me so I wouldn't have to make them endure them. They probably didn't have the best memories of the Italian vampires, but they were our last shot.

I was painfully aware of the probing eyes of our family as they watched us curiously. Watched him place his forehead against mine and his eyes flutter shut. Mine shut on their own accord. I'm sure they had absolutely no idea what was going on, but it was something Edward and I had been trying for several months now: we were trying to see if we could read each other's thoughts. He'd picked up on a few of my own messages and was sure that it would work, though I wasn't entirely positive that it would.

Like a mantra, I silently repeated _the Volturi. . .the Volturi. . .the Volturi. . ._ in my head until, after what seemed like hours, Edward sucked in a shock breath of air and stepped away from me.

Recognition flickered in his eyes as he turned toward the rest of our family. They seemed to be on the edge of their seats, though Alice was wearing a faintly smug, albeit surprised expression that made me think that she already knew what her telepathic brother was going to say.

"Where!" Emmett pressed immediately, unable to hold himself back any longer.

With a sigh, Edward said, "The Volturi."


End file.
